Brazil’s Power Grid Gets a Smart Makeover

Copel’s smart meters cut costs and outages, jolting Brazil’s energy future to life.

3 Mar 2025

Brazil is flipping the switch on a new era of electricity. In Paraná, one of the country’s most populous states, utility giant Copel has passed a milestone: one million smart meters installed and counting. The company aims to hit 1.7 million by the end of 2025, putting Brazil on track for one of Latin America's boldest grid overhauls.

Out go the old analogue meters. In come sleek digital devices that monitor power use in real time and alert the grid the moment something goes wrong. That means fewer house calls, faster repairs, and more accurate bills.

For Copel, it is not just a tech upgrade. It is a total reset. The utility is layering in smart grid infrastructure that can reroute electricity during outages, balance loads more efficiently, and give customers more control over their consumption.

“This is more than just modernisation,” says Marco Villela, who heads Copel’s Smart Grid Program. “It’s the backbone of a fully digital utility.”

But transforming a decades-old grid is not simple. As the International Energy Agency points out, blending smart tech with legacy systems raises complex cybersecurity questions. While Copel has not shared specifics, the industry standard leans heavily on encrypted data and layered digital defences.

Still, the benefits are already visible. Service interruptions are down. Customers can track their usage in real time. And Copel is streamlining operations across the board.

Brazil’s energy sector is watching closely. If Copel’s rollout holds, it could serve as a model for other regions aiming to modernise without rebuilding from scratch. It is a leap toward a more responsive, resilient power system, one smart meter at a time.