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“It Has To Leave Brazil”: São Paulo Governor Defends Ending Enel’s Concession After Blackout In SP
São Paulo faces billion-dollar losses as Enel fails to meet its power restoration commitments. Governor Tarcísio de Freitas calls for firm intervention and an end to the concession.
The critical situation of electricity in São Paulo has been a hot topic in recent days. With recurring blackouts and massive losses for businesses and services in the capital, Governor Tarcísio de Freitas was emphatic in stating that Enel must cease its operations in Brazil. “It is clear that it has to leave here,” declared the governor in an interview during the 54th anniversary event of ROTA. His statement came in response to recent problems faced by the population, exacerbated by last Friday’s storm, which left over 158,000 customers without power.
“Enel Has To Leave Brazil,” Says Governor Urgently
The criticism from Tarcísio de Freitas was not just a momentary frustration. The governor has been pressing for a process of caducity – that is, the termination of the concession contract – due to Enel’s questionable performance. For him, imposing fines is no longer effective, as the company has repeatedly failed to pay them and, worse, continues to neglect its responsibilities. “It does not pay the fines imposed by Procon or Aneel and continues to disregard its obligations,” Freitas stated, visibly dissatisfied.
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The governor also emphasized that, even with a previously established contingency plan with the concessionaire, Enel failed to mobilize the necessary number of employees to deal with the storm’s damages. The plan stipulated that 2,500 people would be on the streets to restore power, but only a thousand workers were seen in action. “It spent the weekend with few resources mobilized. It had the commitment to hire more people and did not hire,” Freitas highlighted.
Billion-Dollar Losses and Legal Action
The impacts of the failure in power supply are not limited to residents’ discomfort. A survey by FecomercioSP revealed that the blackout caused losses of R$ 1.82 billion since last Friday. The services sector was the most affected, accumulating losses of R$ 1.23 billion, while commerce suffered an impact of R$ 589 million, particularly notable around Children’s Day, when commerce lost R$ 211 million in revenue.
In light of this scenario, the Municipality of São Paulo filed a lawsuit to compel Enel to immediately restore service in affected areas. The stipulated fine, in case of non-compliance with the order, is R$ 200 thousand per day.
Aneel and CGU Mobilize to Investigate Enel
The situation took new turns with the intervention of federal agencies. The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) initiated a process to investigate Enel’s failures, pointing to the possibility of a formal recommendation for the concession’s caducity. The Comptroller General of the Union (CGU) announced an audit to ascertain responsibilities, while the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) was already investigating previous blackouts.
Both Aneel and Enel participated in meetings with São Paulo Mayor Ricardo Nunes and Tarcísio de Freitas. The agenda included discussions with other mayors of affected cities, seeking immediate solutions to the crisis.
What will be the future of electricity in São Paulo? Will Enel be able to remain in Brazil, or is it time for a new company to take over? Comment!
Tarcísio melhor governador do Brasil 👋👏👏👏👏👏💥
Goabinha
Eu não volto no Tarcísio Cruz crédito Já mais nunca