Fonte: ANEEL

It was published on Monday (10/03) in the Official Journal of the Union (DPU), Resolution No. 451/2011, which deals with general conditions for the creation, organization and functioning of the Energy Consumers Councils. Currently, almost all the 63 electricity distributors in the country have a consumers council, but with the publication of the standard, those which do not have one must deploy it until the November 30 this year. 

The councils are composed of representatives of each consumer class (rural, residential, industrial and government) in order to guide, analyze and evaluate issues related to supply, prices and adequacy of electricity services provided to end users. 

One of the changes introduced by the new resolution refers to the indication of representative institutions that participate in the councils. The competence is no longer the distributor’s and becomes the board’s, which will select representatives from the representation of entities with consumers of the respective groups. 

The new law also establishes the financial autonomy, which will be ensured through an annual transfer of funds to maintain its activities, with rate acknowledgement for eligible expenses and pre-set limit. This transfer will be calculated based on a formula that considers the main features of the concession, the number of consumers, the number of municipalities served and the land area of the concession, limited to an amount equivalent to 1% of Part B (controllable costs) of the revenue of the distributor. 

The revision of the Regulation was preceded by public consultation, with live session in São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Fortaleza, Recife, Belém and Brasília in 2009, and public hearing with exchange of documents and onsite session at the headquarters of ANEEL, in 2010. 

The operation of the Consumer Council is supported by the Agency since 1998, the year when the First National Meeting with representatives of the boards of all distributors was held in Brasilia. The new regulation should be the theme of the meeting of the National Consumer Council, to be held between November17 and 18 in São Luís (MA). Check here the Consumer Councils across the country: http://conselhodeconsumidores.aneel.gov.br. (PG/FA/GL).