Grupo de Estudos do Setor Elétrico

What Grupo de Estudos do Setor Elétrico does

GESEL — Grupo de Estudos do Setor Elétrico is a non-profit academic research group operating since 1997 within the Instituto de Economia of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). It conducts economic, regulatory, and market analysis of the Brazilian electricity sector, functioning as a structural bridge between government bodies (MME, ONS, EPE, ANEEL, CCEE, BNDES), energy sector companies, and academia. Its core products and information services include the IFE daily electronic newsletter and themed variants on energy transition, storage, exponential technologies, and data centers; the TDSE (Textos de Discussão do Setor Elétrico) discussion paper series; academic articles, opinion pieces in Valor Econômico, CanalEnergia, and Broadcast Energia; books; executive training courses; and an EAD postgraduate specialization in Electricity Sector Regulation. Underlying technology is primarily editorial and research infrastructure — a publication platform, multi-channel distribution (email, WhatsApp, Telegram, LinkedIn, YouTube, website), and applied economic modeling — rather than a software product.

The business model is project-based and non-profit. Revenue is generated principally through R&D contracts executed under ANEEL's mandatory P&D program, paid by private energy sector partners including CPFL, EDP, ENEL São Paulo, Light, Neoenergia, State Grid Brazil, Auren, ENEVA, ENERGISA, and Itaipu Binacional. Secondary revenue comes from fees on executive courses and the EAD postgraduate specialization. The team is multidisciplinary, combining UFRJ faculty with senior researchers from COPPE-UFRJ, USP, UFSC, and Portuguese universities (Coimbra, Porto, Minho), and includes former regulators (ex-president of Portugal's ERSE), former ONS executives, and ex-BNDES department heads, lending deep institutional credibility. The customer base spans government and regulatory bodies, regulated utilities across generation, transmission, distribution, and commercialization, and the academic and graduate research community. All offerings are oriented toward policy formulation, regulatory design, market modeling, and professional training within the Brazilian electricity sector.

Name

Grupo de Estudos do Setor Elétrico

Legal name

GESEL - Grupo de Estudos do Setor Elétrico

Website

https://gesel.ie.ufrj.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electricity Sector Research and Regulatory Advisory Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Tariffs, Net Metering & Distributed Generation Regulation (EUAMANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Policy Interface for Renewables (ETS/Offsets/Carbon Taxes) (EUAMANAI), EIA/ESIA Documentation & Technical Studies (Air/Water/Noise/Traffic) (EUAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Electricity sector research
• Energy regulation analysis
• ANEEL R&D projects
• Energy market studies
• Academic energy publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio De Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. P&D Project Funding: GESEL generates revenue through research and development projects under ANEEL's P&D program, producing technical reports, books, and discussion papers. Projects are contracted by various energy sector companies including EDP, CPFL, ENEL, Light, Neoenergia, State Grid, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GESEL is a university-based academic research group at IE/UFRJ that conducts economic, regulatory, and market analysis of the Brazilian electricity sector. It delivers contracted R&D (P&D) studies under ANEEL's program, produces academic publications (TDSE discussion papers, books, articles, opinion pieces), distributes the daily IFE electronic newsletter, and provides executive education courses and postgraduate specialization in electricity regulation.

Product overview

GESEL operates as a research group rather than a commercial product company. Its core offerings center on information services (IFE newsletters), educational programs (courses and graduate specialization), and academic publications (TDSE discussion papers, books, articles). The IFE newsletter system includes themed variants on energy transition, storage, exponential technologies, and data centers. Educational offerings comprise executive training courses and lato sensu graduate programs on electricity regulation. Research outputs include discussion papers, technical reports from ANEEL R&D projects, academic articles, opinion pieces, and books. All offerings are oriented toward the academic, regulatory, and professional electricity sector community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFE - Informativo Eletrônico do Setor Elétrico A daily electronic newsletter covering news and analysis about Brazil's electricity sector, including regulation, sector companies, auctions, supply and demand, electric mobility, innovation, renewables, gas, and thermal plants. Distributed to subscribers via email, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
• IFE Diário Daily general newsletter covering the main electricity sector news, distributed via email to subscribers.
• Transição Energética (Themed IFE Newsletter) Themed newsletter focusing on energy transition topics, published periodically.
• Armazenamento: Usinas Reversíveis e Baterias (Themed IFE Newsletter) Themed newsletter covering energy storage topics including reversible hydroelectric plants and batteries.
• Tecnologias Exponenciais (Themed IFE Newsletter) Themed newsletter covering exponential technologies in the energy sector.
• Nivelamento Executivo: Estrutura Econômica, Planejamento, Operação e Mercado no Setor Elétrico Brasileiro Executive training course focused on understanding the institutional, economic, regulatory, and commercial foundations of the Brazilian Electricity System. Targeted at sector professionals.
• Contabilidade Aplicada ao Setor Elétrico Brasileiro Course addressing the accounting complexities of the Brazilian electricity sector including regulatory, financial, and operational challenges. Targeted at sector professionals and accountants.
• Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu – Especialização: Regulação do Setor Elétrico EAD (distance learning) graduate specialization program on electricity sector regulation. Targeted at sector professionals and consumer council members of distribution companies.
• TDSE - Textos de Discussão do Setor Elétrico Discussion paper series publishing research on electricity sector topics, available as open-access publications.
• Livros (Book Publications) Book publications on electricity sector topics including annual series on electricity sector companies and bioelectricity.
• Relatórios (Technical Reports from ANEEL R&D Projects) Technical reports produced under ANEEL R&D (P&D) research projects, contracted with energy sector companies.
• Pesquisas (ANEEL P&D Contracted Research Projects) R&D research projects contracted by energy sector companies (EDP, CPFL, ENEL, Light, Neoenergia, State Grid, Auren, ENERGISA, ENEVA, Itaipu Binacional, and others) under ANEEL's P&D program, covering regulatory innovation, market design, tariff analysis, electric mobility, hydrogen viability, distributed energy resources, and other topics.

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANEELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGESEL conducts research and development projects under ANEEL's P&D program, which is a core funding mechanism for electricity sector innovation research in Brazil. Multiple projects are funded through this partnership involving various energy companies.
• CPFL EnergiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple P&D collaborations including fleet electrification pilot project in Indaiatuba (first nationally produced EVs), sustainability index development for distributors, tariff comparison study, and Energy City project.
• EDP BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive partnership covering market design analysis for market opening, electric mobility (Plug & Go with Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche), hydrogen (Pecém H2V with Hytron and IATI), regulatory innovations, consumer council training, P&D program evaluation, and technological innovation policies.
• ENEL (São Paulo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on tariff sandbox project applying dynamic tariffs (trinomial with hourly signaling and Peak Time Rebate) to residential consumers equipped with smart meters to evaluate efficiency and distribution system resource usage impacts.
• LightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on shared electric mobility project (e-carsharing) and research on non-technical losses in Areas with Severe Operational Restrictions (ARSOs), developing new regulatory methodology for high loss areas.
• NeoenergiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Green Corridor (Corredor Verde) project between Salvador/BA and Natal/RN with 11 highway charging stations (50 kW) and 6 urban shopping stations (22 kW), evaluating EV performance in Northeast Brazil.
• State Grid Brazil (SGBH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on environmental licensing portal for transmission systems (LAST and LAST 2 projects finalist for CINASE 2023 award) and development of Reference Manual for Reversible Hydroelectric Plants projects.
• AurencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on hydroelectric plants research using data science and intelligent systems to analyze MRE performance and propose new market designs with quantified impacts for stakeholders.
• ENERGISAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on distributed energy resources impact study on distribution sector, developing proposals for efficient regulatory adjustments to enable large-scale diffusion of DERs without negative financial impacts.
• ENEVAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on thermogeneration economic regulation research, focusing on contracting forms and calculation methodology for operating costs to support contract formatting.
• Itaipu BinacionalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on comparative analysis of binational hydroelectric projects, examining characteristics and difficulties of electrical integration primarily from economic-financial perspective.
• Volkswagen, Audi, PorschecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership within EDP's Plug & Go project forming South America's largest ultra-fast charging network, installing charging stations along São Paulo and neighboring capitals.
• COPPE-UFRJcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Engineering Research for joint research on energy planning and electrical systems.
• University of Coimbra, University of Porto, University of MinhocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnerships with Portuguese universities contributing to research capacity and knowledge exchange on electricity sector economics and regulation.
• SENAICIMATECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Green Corridor project contributing technical expertise to electric mobility research in Northeast Brazil.
• SINAPSIS Inovação em EnergiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Green Corridor project contributing to energy innovation research.
• AESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in P&D program evaluation project consortium alongside EDP, CPFL, and ENERGISA.
• Energy Assets BrasilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on hydrogen platform development project (H2 Project) to analyze technical, economic, and environmental viability of hydrogen production, storage, transport, and end use.
• Hytron, IATIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Pecém H2V project for hydrogen value chain development including solar plant and electrolyzer module pilot.
• MovidaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in shared electric mobility project (e-carsharing) with Light contributing to fleet studies.
• ENERCAN ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Campos Novos Energia, Energética Barra Grande, Companhia Energética Rio das Antas, Foz do Chapecó Energia, and Paulista Lajeado Energia on reversible hydroelectric viability study in the National Interconnected System.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PSR (Power Systems Research): Brazilian energy consulting firm providing market design, regulatory, and planning analysis to the Brazilian power sector. Closest direct commercial analog to GESEL's research and advisory work, though PSR operates on a for-profit consulting model.
• NIPE - Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energético (Unicamp): Academic energy research group at Unicamp founded in 1987 by GESEL associate researcher Sérgio Bajay. Direct peer as a Brazilian university-based energy planning research group working on similar regulatory and economic analysis.
• IEE - Instituto de Energia e Ambiente (USP): University of São Paulo research institute focused on energy and environmental studies, including GESEL associate researcher Fernando Caneppele. Direct academic peer producing energy research with shared investigators.

Regional players

• EPE - Empresa de Pesquisa Energética: Brazilian federal government energy research and planning agency linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Comparable in mission (sector studies, planning, energy outlooks) though operating as a government entity rather than an academic group.
• ONS - Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico: Brazilian national grid operator and a former employer of several GESEL senior researchers (Moszkowicz, Monteath, Hubner Moreira). Not a direct competitor, but an institutional counterpart GESEL works closely with on planning and operations research.

Others

• CCEE - Câmara de Comercialização de Energia Elétrica: Brazilian electricity trading chamber that GESEL engages with on market design research. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but operates in the same regulatory and market analysis space.

Broad incumbents

• Wood Mackenzie: Global energy research and consultancy covering power markets, regulation, and transition. Broad incumbent that competes for senior-level strategic research mandates in the Brazilian market, though it is not sector-specialized domestically.
• BloombergNEF: Global provider of energy transition research, including coverage of Brazilian power markets, regulation, and renewables. Comparable as a research and intelligence provider, though operating at global rather than Brazil-specialist depth.
• S&P Global Commodity Insights: Global energy research and data provider with Brazilian power market coverage including regulation, tariffs, and market design. Broad incumbent with overlapping research product to GESEL's market and regulatory analysis.

Emerging players

• Thymos Energia: Brazilian energy consulting firm active in regulation, market design, and economic advisory for the power sector. Emerging commercial peer serving overlapping clients with similar electricity sector economic and regulatory analysis offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/geselufrj
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• Facebookfacebook.com/geselufrj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gesel-grupo-de-estudos-do-setor-el%C3%A9trico-ufrj
• Instagraminstagram.com/geselufrj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles33 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Grupo de Estudos do Setor Elétrico