São Paulo power crisis sparks calls for energy regulation overhaul
EXCLUSIVE: Officials raise the alarm over the “disorganized occupation of power distribution poles by telecommunications infrastructure”
Amid a growing electric supply crisis in Brazil, São Paulo, the country’s largest city, is intensifying efforts to address a major urban infrastructure problem: the tangled mess of cables and wires that hang from millions of concrete utility poles across the massive metropolis.
São Paulo has an estimated 1.5 million utility poles lining its streets, approximately one for every eight residents. According to the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), more than half of these poles are misused, contributing to overuse, illegal wiring, and dangerous space mismanagement.
Energy distributors manage the poles, while telecom providers pay for the right to use them for their own cables. Yet, oversight is minimal, leading to the chaotic web of wires seen on many street corners.
During repairs, instead of identifying faulty lines, companies often add more cables, further complicating the situation.
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