Brazil's Ministry Of Mines And Energy Is Seeking Public Opinion On Smart Meter Deployment

 

Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy is seeking public opinion on smart meter deployment, aiming to install 3.6 million units within 12 months, with a minimum coverage rate of 4%.

 

Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy has launched a public consultation on smart meter implementation guidelines, a move that will drive modernization in the power sector and is expected to deploy 3.6 million new devices nationwide. Distribution companies and manufacturers generally emphasize the investment value of smart meters, their technological differentiation, and their multiple benefits for both consumers and the grid.

 

The Ministry's consultation aims to reduce line losses and operating costs, improve power quality, and empower consumers through incremental modernization. Smart meters enable remote and granular electricity usage records, establish two-way communication between user units and distribution companies, and offer remote on/off functionality, fraudulent fault detection, power quality monitoring, and digital platform integration. These capabilities improve metering accuracy, optimize grid management, and enhance billing transparency. Key points of the consultation include requiring 4% of user units in the distribution area to be equipped with smart meters within 12 months, defining minimum device functionality standards, enabling the use of energy efficiency program funds, and providing guidance for medium- and long-term cost-benefit analysis. This 4% lower limit corresponds to the deployment of approximately 3.6 million new meters nationwide. Some regions have exceeded this target. For example, Ener São Paulo's smart meter coverage rate reached 12% (1.2 million units) in 2024, and Coper's coverage rate has reached 33%.