MP sues Copel for constant energy failures in Reserva and demands R$ 198 million compensation

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Paraná, through the Prosecutor’s Office of Reserve Justice, has filed a civil public action against Copel for “severe and repeated failures in the supply of electricity in the municipality”. The action, asks the conviction of Copel to pay R$ 198,848 million.

The action was proposed after a civil investigation that pointed to successive interruptions and oscillations in the service, which harmed residents and affected the public and productive sectors.

According to MPPR, inadequate provision caused loss of refrigerated food, milk production and vaccines, as well as shutdown of activities. The failures also compromised water supply and telecommunications services.

The situation is more serious in the rural area, where there are reports of communities that have been without power for up to seven days. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the concessionaire has been failing for years to comply with the indicators of duration and frequency of interruptions.

What the MPPR asks in Court

The body asks for urgent protection so that Copel ensures the supply in an efficient, regular and continuous way, avoiding oscillations and voltage drops.

The measures include deadlines of up to 1 hour to 4 hours to identify the cause of the failures, depending on the distance from the headquarters of the City Hall, and up to 8 hours to re-establish service in serious occurrences.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office also requires Copel to communicate to consumers and the public authority within 15 minutes after identifying the cause, informing the affected area and the forecast of return. And that keeps on public site updated every 30 minutes on the occurrences, number of affected units, duration, teams in the field and progress of the works.

On teams, the request is for at least one active team and two warning teams under normal conditions, and at least four warning teams in storm forecast periods.

In up to 60 days, Copel would have to present a permanent preventive maintenance program, with periodic inspections, vegetation pruning, equipment verification and fault correction in sections with a history of problems.

Fines and compensation

To ensure compliance, the MPPR asks for a fine of R$ 25,000 per hour or fraction of delay in the identification of the cause and in the restoration, in addition to fines for breach of communication and team obligations.

In the action, the Public Prosecutor’s Office also asks Copel to pay R$ 198,848 million for collective moral damages and compensation of at least R$ 8 thousand per consumer affected by the interruptions, without prejudice to individual actions.

Positioning

In a note sent to the Portal Boca no Trombone, Copel reported that it was not formally cited in the public civil action brought by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Paraná, through the Prosecutor’s Office of the Reserve Justice.

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