Inside Eletrobras’s Bold AI Power Play

Eletrobras partners with C3 AI to modernize Brazil’s grid with predictive, data-driven intelligence

14 Oct 2025

Brazil’s biggest power utility is going digital. In August Eletrobras announced a partnership with C3 AI, a Californian software firm, to modernise the country’s sprawling electricity grid. The goal is to make it more reliable and efficient, while offering a glimpse of how artificial intelligence might reshape Latin America’s energy systems.

At the core of the tie-up lies C3 AI’s Grid Intelligence platform. It sifts through torrents of real-time data from substations and sensors, spotting faults before they cascade into outages. Eletrobras hopes that quicker detection will mean faster repairs and lower costs, though the projected savings have yet to be independently confirmed.

“This partnership accelerates our modernization journey, allowing us to respond faster and smarter to incidents,” said Lucas Pinz, the firm’s innovation chief. The deal extends Eletro.ia, a programme begun in 2024 to embed machine learning across operations. Pablo Flores, head of protection and automation, says the software “delivers real-time insights that keep the grid stable and secure.”

For C3 AI, the venture offers a showcase: if it works in Brazil, it might work anywhere. The country’s network is vast, complex and increasingly fed by renewable sources. Managing it demands faster reactions than human operators can provide.

The experiment will test not only technology but also bureaucracy. Legacy infrastructure, data silos and regulatory delays could blunt AI’s benefits. Yet the partnership marks a shift in how utilities think about resilience, less about concrete and cables, more about code.

If successful, Brazil’s digital grid could set a regional precedent. Neighbours from Chile to Colombia are chasing similar goals as they expand solar and wind power. Eletrobras’s gamble may thus illuminate a path toward cleaner, smarter, and steadier electricity.