Communication to be power sector’s next frontier

Communication to be power sector’s next frontier

Communication to be power sector's next frontier

Sao Paulo, 16 May (Argus) — As Brazil's power sector works to modernize, improving customer communication may be one of the most crucial steps to its development.

During power regulator Aneel's "The Future of the Power Consumer" event earlier this month, Brazil's industry participants said a thoughtful communication strategy is fundamental as the market transforms.

Clients want digital, easy to understand, on-demand solutions for power, said panelists at the event. That would require traders and distributors to invest in customer service, with the use of technologies like chatbots and artificial intelligence to build closer, more attentive relationships with consumers.

Companies with off-grid power solutions need to invest in communication efforts to promote their products as greener, independent alternatives to traditional power sources, as well as helping customers understand the need to pay for capacity, so that the intermittent nature of these sources does not hamper supply. Companies also face the task of training clients on how to sell spare power back to the grid.

But market participants said the government needs to invest in strategies to spread awareness about how the sector works. A lack of knowledge about different spot prices for power during the day may leave