Aneel Proposes New Guidelines for Distributed Generation, Requiring Adaptations for 33 GW and Increased Distributor Control.
The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) signals a significant shift in Brazil’s distributed generation landscape. The agency’s technical team has presented a proposal imposing new monitoring and control requirements for all distributed energy resource connections, directly impacting over 33 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity. The measure aims to empower distributors to play a more active role in grid operations, a function aligned with the concept of a Distribution System Operator (DSO).
This regulatory initiative, nearing a public consultation, will encompass approximately 1.5 thousand Type III distributed generation plants and around 68,000 microgeneration units already connected. This technological and operational adaptation is viewed as fundamental for the future of the electrical grid, especially given the accelerated growth of decentralized energy sources and the need for greater integration and control of these assets.
Adaptation and Control: The Pillars of the New Proposal
The draft proposal by Aneel details the division of responsibilities for the necessary communication infrastructure. Distributors will be responsible for providing and maintaining the connection between their operation centers and user connection points, defining protocols, and ensuring cybersecurity.
Plant and microgeneration owners will be tasked with installing and maintaining internal equipment to integrate their resources into the grid. This includes ensuring internal systems are compatible and respond to external commands.
The agency’s impact assessment considers the adaptation technically feasible for Type III plants and microgeneration units, assuming these installations, due to their size and original investment, possess the technical and financial conditions for it. The expectation is for a phased implementation, starting with Type III plants and gradually moving to microgeneration units, with regulatory costs classified as moderate to high, and a moderate risk of litigation.
Evolution of Distributors into Grid Operators
With the new guidelines, distributors will assume a central role in monitoring and commanding energy resources within their concession areas. This coordination with the ONS (National Electric System Operator) will enable concessionaires to translate the electrical system’s needs into direct commands for distributed generation facilities. Currently, distributors have limited visibility into the production and behavior of these millions of devices, restricting their operational capacity.
The regulatory review establishes essential elements for operationalizing the DSO model, although it does not yet define institutional aspects like functional separation, neutrality, and remuneration. Studies presented by sector associations, such as ABGD (Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation) and Absolar (Brazilian Association of Solar Energy), address these points but were not incorporated into the technical team’s initial consultation. However, the proposal is an important step in equipping distributors with the necessary tools to manage an increasingly complex and decentralized electrical system.
New Connections and the Future of Distributed Generation
In addition to adapting existing assets, the review also sets rigorous requirements for all new distributed energy resource connections. This concept encompasses not only generation but also storage systems and loads capable of modulating their consumption.
The proposal, originating from drafts submitted by the ONS and supported by universities, addresses crucial aspects such as protection, response to voltage and frequency variations, power control, energy quality, and equipment certification.
The regulatory move responds to ONS alerts since 2025 regarding the challenges posed by the expansion of micro and distributed generation, especially during periods of low demand and high production. Law 15.269, from November 2025, had already authorized Aneel to establish requirements for access to transmission and distribution systems, paving the way for the directives now proposed.
