Social Movements protest in Curitiba against the energy fare increase

Photo: Joka Madruga

The protesters requests COPEL (Energy Company of the State of Paraná) and the Paraná State governor immediate cancel of the 33.5% increase on the energy bill for residents of Paraná. The social movements are also demanding for repair of the losses caused by the flooding due to the opening of the dam floodgates of the Hydroelectric Plant of Salto Caxias.

This Tuesday (24), approximately 300 people protest in (PR) against the price increase of 33.5% at the electric energy bill for 4.1 millions of residential consumers of 395 municipalities of Paraná state.

The increase of the energy fare have been authorized since this morning by ANEEL (National Agency of Electric Energy), answering the requirement made nearly one month ago by COPEL.

The protest concentrates in front of COPEL, where a delegation of social movements are in meeting with representatives of COPEL to charge the immediate cancel of the increase on the energy fares. “This increase is a political measure of PSDB which controls COPEL. We will not accept to pay one of heights energy fare in the world”, affirmed Robson Formica, MAB’s coordinator.

The MAB (Movement of People Affected by Dams), other social movements and trade-unions also charges emergency measures to COPEL to repair the losses caused by the flooding due to the opening of the dam floodgates of the Hydroelectric Plant of Salto Caxias, which flooded thousands of houses in the south-east of Paraná.

Readjustment Policy

Each of the 64 electric energy distributors around Brazil have an annual calendar for increase of the energy fare, which is named “Annual Fare Readjustment”. This year, the date of the readjustment for “COPEL Distribuidora” happened on June 24^th.

Circa of 30 days before the date, each distributor sends a document with the request of the percentage of the intended increase. This document is send to ANEEL and published at the agency’s website. After this period, ANEEL evaluates the information provided by these companies and decides how much can be applied at the energy bills of the population for the next 12 months. COPEL sent the readjustment request of an average readjustment of 32.45%.

Last year ANEEL had already authorized the readjustment of the fare in 14.42%. But, due to the large street protests, the increase of the fare was only partially applied.