September load 5.9% higher on the grid

ONS published the Monthly Operation Programme bulletin for the period from 29 August to 4 September 2026 and highlighted the first load projections for September: growth of 5.9% in the National Interconnected System, 7.1% in the Northeast, 6.5% in the North and South and 5.3% in the Southeast and Centre-West, compared with September 2025.

The bulletin does not say who answers for the deviation if regional growth is not confirmed. In the Resenha Mensal do Mercado de Energia Elétrica of August 2026, EPE recorded grid electricity consumption of 37,894 GWh in July, up 1.4% in the month and 1.1% year to date, with a 7.6% fall in the North region.

A load projection guides contracting, dispatch and the sizing of grid reinforcement. When regional load grows less than forecast, contracted energy and evacuation capacity are left over, and both remain remunerated. This cost is spread among consumers over a period longer than that of the review itself.

The variable that decides the cost is the gap between the regional load projection and the consumption measured afterwards.