Brazil consumed 1.4% more electricity in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, reaching the milestone of 66,760 MW average, according to preliminary data from the Brazilian Electricity Trading Chamber (CCEE). This growth is a result of the favorable moment for mining industry exports and the expansion of commercial and service activities, even though milder temperatures, especially those recorded in January and April, led to reduced demand for air conditioning usage.

In the free market, where large industries and business groups can choose their electricity supplier, consumption showed a 5.2% increase compared to the previous year. The result was also driven by the accelerated pace of migrations. In the first half alone, over 3,300 new consumer units joined this segment. On the regulated market, however, there was a 0.7% reduction caused by the growing presence of distributed micro and mini-generation, weather-related factors, and the volume of agents who moved to the free market.

Consumption by economic sector

Among the 15 economic sectors purchasing electricity in the free market, CCEE observed an increase in eleven of them compared to the same period last year. Notably, there was growth in the commercial sector and metallic mineral extraction due to increased activities in supermarkets with inflation cooling down, as well as a favorable moment for ore exports. The sanitation sector also showed a high rate of increase, reflecting the migration of large consumers from this segment to the free market.

Consumption by region

In terms of regional evaluation, the highest increases were concentrated in the North and Northeast regions, with Maranhão and Pará standing out. In both states, the increase reflects electricity consumption in metallurgical industries and weather-related factors, and in the case of Maranhão, the significant increase is also a result of the continuous recovery of production in an important aluminum plant segment.