Map Key · 21 de outubro de 2026
Curtailment (generation cuts)
Curtailment is when a wind or solar plant is ordered to produce less than it could, because there is not enough demand or not enough transmission to carry the power. Brazil’s Northeast accounts for about 83% of the country’s curtailment.
Why it happens
Brazil’s grid operator (ONS) orders plants to cut output for three main reasons: more power than demand, known as energy reasons; grid security limits, known as reliability; and problems on third-party lines or equipment, known as external unavailability.
How big it is in the Northeast
From January to August 2026, 20.9% of the power Brazil’s wind and solar plants could have produced went unused, up from 18% in the same period of 2025, according to ONS data compiled by Canal Solar. The Northeast accounted for about 83% of the cuts, and the fastest-growing reason was surplus power, up 66%.
What reduces curtailment
- Transmission lines that carry power to other markets, such as the Bipolo Nordeste II line recommended in Brazil’s energy plan to 2036.
- Batteries, to store midday power for the evening.
- New demand near the plants: data centers, green hydrogen and industries switching energy sources.
- Credit for grids and storage, such as the US$ 67 million announced by Banco do Nordeste in October 2026.
The view from next door. Curtailed power means idle investment, taxes not collected and jobs that never show up. For people living near the wind farms, it also delays the development that was promised along with the towers.
Related terms
Ler em português: Curtailment (corte de geração)
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