History

Copel - Companhia Paranaense de Energia, the largest company of the State of Paraná, was founded on October 26, 1954 with ownership control held by the State of Paraná. The Company went public in April 1994 (BM&FBovespa) and, in 1997, it was the first company of the Brazilian electricity sector to be listed at the New York Stock Exchange. As from June 2002, the brand is also present at the European Economic Community, having been listed at Latibex - the Latin American arm of the Madrid Stock Exchange. As of May 7, 2008, Copel's shares were ranked at Level 1 of São Paulo Stock Exchange (BM&FBovespa)'s Corporate Governance.

The Company directly serves 4,478,767 consuming units, across 395 cities and 1,113 locations (districts, villages and settlements), located in the State of Paraná. This network consists of 3.5 million homes, 82 thousand plants, 382 thousand commercial establishments and 360 thousand rural properties. The staff is composed of 8,531 employees.

Copel's structure comprises the operation of:

• An own generating complex composed of 30 power plants and 11 participations, whose installed capacity totals 5,675 MW;

• The transmission system totaling 40 thousand km of lines and 45 substations (all of them automated);

• Distribution system with 195 thousand km of lines - the third largest in the country - and 362 automated substations.

• The optical telecommunication system (Paraná's Infoway), which has 30 thousand km the cables installed between the main ring and urban radials (self-sustained cables), 399 cities of the State of Paraná and 2 cities of the State of Santa Catarina.

Today, Copel irradiate light and provide the whole State of Paraná with comfort and social peace. This progress has been achieved for six decades, grounded on hydraulic potential, technology domain and, especially, the creative ability of the technicians and professionals working for the Company.

In details

1954

By means of Decree 14,947 as of October 26, 1954, executed by Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto, the state government incorporated Copel - Companhia Paranaense de Energia Elétrica, and then named Companhia Paranaense de Energia on August 14, 1979. The Fundo Estadual de Eletrificação (State Fund of Electricity) was the main ground to pay in the Company's capital.

1956

By means of Decree 14,947 as of October 26, 1954, executed by Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto, the state government incorporated Copel - Companhia Paranaense de Energia Elétrica and on August 14, 1979, it was renamed as Companhia Paranaense de Energia. The State Fund of Electricity (Fundo Estadual de Eletrificação) was destined to the payment of the corporate capital.

Through Decree n° 1,412, as of 1956, Copel centralized all government efforts relative to the planning, construction and exploitation of electric power production, transmission, transformation, distribution and selling systems and their related services, having incorporated all assets, services and works that were under the responsibility of several bodies. Consequently, it became responsible for the construction of large systems of energetic integration, the hydroelectric undertakings established in the Electricity Plan of the State of Paraná and the electric distribution network with a view to providing electricity to the population in Paraná.

On August 1, 1956, for the first time in its history, Copel took over the electric distribution network of a town in Paraná. That was in Maringá, which had emerged as an urban centre in the northwestern part of the state and showed a rapid population growth. With the arrival of Copel and the electricity, Maringá developed even more and was followed by Apucarana, Campo Mourão, Mandaguaçu, Pirapó and Cambira.

1960

Finding a definitive solution for large scale electric power supply became Copel's greatest challenge in the 1960's.

1963

In 1963, Figueira Thermoelectric Powerplant (20 MW), in Northern Paraná, started operations, being it a key element for the implementation of the State Plan of Electricity and for the interconnection of systems and benefiting the North and the Central regions.

1966

In 1966, Copel took over the electric distribution network of Cascavel and Foz do Iguaçu in the west region of Paraná.

1967

In 1967, Copel launched Salto Grande do Iguaçu HPP (15.6 MW), which serves the south of the state.

1970

In 1970, Julio de Mesquita Filho Powerplant (located in Foz do Chopim) started its operations with a 44 MW electricity production capacity, serving the Southeastern and the Western regions of Paraná.

1971

In 1971, Governador Parigot de Souza Powerplant started operations. Initially, known as Capivari-Cachoeira, it was afterwards named after the governor Pedro Viriato Parigot de Souza, who governed Paraná between 1971 and 1973 and had been Copel's CEO as well. It is the largest underground power station of Southern Brazil and its capacity totals 260 MW. Upon its launching, the plant was Copel's main generating unit, as well as the largest plant operating in Southern Brazil, accounting for a crucial step in the implementation of an energetic infrastructure ready to promote and speed up the development of the State of Paraná.

1973

In 1973, Copel greatly increased the number of its consumers by taking over the electric distribution network of several municipalities in Paraná. On August 1, 1973, the Company merged Companhia Força e Luz do Paraná which provided power to Curitiba. Previously, for about a period of eighty years, the service had been provided by seven different electric distribution companies. On August 17 that same year Copel took over the distribution network in Ponta Grossa.

1974

On June 1, 1974, Copel took over the electric distribution network in Londrina. Since 1938, when the first electrical hook-up was made in that municipality, the service had been provided by Gastão Mesquita & Davis and Empresa Elétrica de Londrina.

1977

Copel launches an energy and social inclusion program that helps people purchase a standard electrical input power unit, promoting electric power supply to 20 thousand homes.

1980

In 1980, Governador Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto Powerplant started operations. Previously named Foz do Areia, the plant was renamed after governor Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto, who governed Paraná between 1951 and 1955. Its capacity totals 1,676 MW and the plant is equipped with generating units that were considered the largest ones in Brazil at that time. When the plant started its operations, Copel's capacity reached 2.9 billion kWh, against. 1.9 in the year before.

1981

In July 1981, Copel reached the milestone of one million consumers hooked up to the electrical grid. Electricity supply was delivered to the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Antônio de Souza Bandeira, who lived in Capão da Imbuia neighborhood in Curitiba.

1984

Initiated in the 1960s by the Company, the Rural Electrification Program represented a leap forward in 1984 with the launching of the Clic Rural Program. In a period of over six years, the Clic Rural Program made available 163 thousand power supply connections in rural areas. Such Program also fostered the development of a vigorous agribusiness which is an international reference today.

1986

In October 1986, Copel reached the significant number of 1.5 million consumers in Paraná (having achieved 4 million nowadays) after power supply was delivered free of charge to the residence of Mr. Faustino Gogola, located in Jardim Ipê neighborhood, in Curitiba, through the Clic Rural Program, who, unable to pay for the service, was also granted a brand new color TV set on such occasion.

In 1986, one could clearly see how much Copel and the State of Paraná had developed. It had taken 27 years (1954-1981) for the company to reach the milestone of one million consumers and only 5 years to increase that number by 500 thousand. This breakthrough was achieved under an energy rationing period due to a severe drought that even caused the reservoir of Capivari-Cachoeira Powerplant (GPS) to dry up.

1990

In this period, the state faced an intense growth in the power market, requiring increasing efforts to meet the demand. New projects were prepared, highlighting the beginning of the construction works of Segredo Power Plant and the concession for the construction of Salto Caxias Hydroelectric Powerplant, both consolidated in the 1990s.

1992

Governador Ney Aminthas de Barros Braga Powerplant started operations in September 1992. Previously called Segredo Power Plant, it was named after governor Ney Braga, who governed Paraná twice, between 1961 and 1965 and between 1979 and 1982. Its capacity totals 1,260 MW, which reduced the State of Paraná's dependence on buying electricity from other states. Its main accomplishment was the disclosure of the first Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Brazil by a hydroelectric plant.

1999

In February 1999, Governador José Richa Hydroelectric Powerplant started operations. Previously called Salto Caxias, it was named after the governor José Richa, who governed Paraná between 1983 and 1986. It is one of Copel's most important plants and its capacity totals 1,240 MW, representing a new advance towards electric power generation, bringing about positive effects to the development of the State of Paraná.

2001

The first fuel cell started operating in the South Hemisphere to supply Copel's Data Processing Center - CPD, located in the Company’s administrative unit on Road BR-277 - km 3, in Curitiba, Paraná.

2002

The state government of Paraná announced the cancellation of Copel's privatization process, which had begun in 1998.

2003

With the automation of Jardim Tropical Substation, in Sarandi, in Northwestern Paraná, Copel became the first company of the Brazilian electric power sector to automate all of its transmission substations.

2004

Copel is the first company of the Brazilian electric power sector to sign the United Nations Global Compact

Copel turned 50 years on October 26. In order to celebrate this date, in addition to the ceremonies held in Paraná, Copel took part in the "Opening Bell" event, having been honored at the New York Stock Exchange on November 22.

2005

Santa Clara Hydroelectric Power Plant was launched in the Jordão River. The first generating group's commercial generation started on July 31, increasing Copel's power system by 60 MW.

Together with other 27 companies, Copel is qualified as a member of the first São Paulo Stock Exchange's Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE Bovespa).

2006

Fundão Hydroelectric Powerplant started operations in the Jordão River. The plant's first generating group initiated activities in June and the second group in August, adding a total of 120 MW of installed capacity.

2008

Upon receiving authorization from the United Nations, the powerplants belonging to Elejor (Santa Clara and Fundão) became the first Brazilian hydroelectric plants to sell Carbon Credit Certificates.

The construction of Mauá Hydroelectric Powerplant, in Tibagi River, began.

2011

In May, Copel launched the foundation stone of Colíder Hydroelectric Powerplant, the first of four hydroelectric undertakings planned in the Teles Pires River, located in the northern region of Mato Grosso State. Planned to start generating power in January 2015, the hydroelectric plant will operate at a capacity of 300 MW – enough to serve a city with 850 thousand inhabitants.

2012

Upon completing the stages of the Federal Government's Program Light for Everyone (Programa Luz para Todos), Copel achieved the universalization of power supply in Paraná. The Company was acknowledged nationally by the Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (National Agency of Electrical Energy - Aneel), marking the beginning of a new era for Copel, with focus on the modernization and automation of the Company’s distribution grid.

2013

In Curitiba, Copel begins one of the most advanced smart grid programs of the country with focus on the automation of the distribution grid, water and power joint consumption remote measurement and distributed generating power from multiple sources.

2014

On August 27, Copel launches the Mais Clic Rural Program with the goal of investing R$ 500 million reais in three years for the implementation of smart grids in Paraná’s countryside, with a view to improving the quality of power supply and restoring power faster in the event of a power outage.

2015

In January, Copel established a wholly-owned trading subsidiary to operate in the free energy market with the purpose of providing energy purchase and sale agreements and consultancy to organizations.

In August, power supply was delivered to a household in São José da Boa Vista, in Northern Paraná, reaching Copel the milestone of 4.5 million consumers.

Three wind power plants (Brisa Potiguar, São Bento e São Miguel do Gostoso) started operations in Rio Grande do Norte, which, together with Copel’s other wind power plants, added an installed capacity of 330.5 MW to the system, making renewable sources responsible for 93% of the Company’s total installed capacity.

2016

Copel’s first two energy transmission undertakings outside Paraná started activities, operating one of them in Maranhão and connecting, the other one, the states of Paraná and Mato Grosso.

Copel’s Chief Governance, Risk and Compliance Office was set up with the purpose of promoting transparency and sustainability in the company, by observing the requirements imposed by laws for government-owned companies (Law no. 13.303/2016 and the Anti-Corruption Law (Law no. 12,846, as of August 1, 2013).