Companhia Paranaense de Energia

Companhia Paranaense de Energia, commonly known as COPEL, is a Brazilian utility engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power. The company also operates a telecommunications subsidiary that provides fiber‑optic broadband and data services. Its primary service area is the state of Paraná, where it supplies electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers. COPEL’s activities are regulated by the Brazilian electricity agency and it holds concessions for generation, transmission, and distribution assets.

COPEL is considered one of the largest electric utilities in the southern region of Brazil. The utility’s installed generation capacity includes a substantial portfolio of hydroelectric plants complemented by wind and solar farms. It serves a customer base that numbers in the millions across urban and rural areas of Paraná. The company’s shares are traded on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3) under the tickers CPLE3, CPLE5, and CPLE6, reflecting its mixed‑capital structure.

A distinguishing attribute of COPEL is its longstanding emphasis on renewable energy, with hydroelectricity forming the backbone of its generation mix. In recent years the company has expanded its wind and solar projects to diversify its clean‑energy portfolio. Through its telecom arm, COPEL Telecom, the utility has deployed a fiber‑optic network that reaches many municipalities in Paraná, supporting broadband connectivity. This combination of power and telecommunications infrastructure positions COPEL as an integrated services provider in its concession area.

COPEL’s ownership structure is mixed‑capital, with the State of Paraná holding the controlling stake through its state treasury. The corporate group includes subsidiaries such as COPEL Geração e Transmissão, COPEL Distribuição, and COPEL Telecom, each responsible for distinct operational functions. These entities operate under the overall strategic direction of the parent company while maintaining separate regulatory concessions.

In February 2021, COPEL suffered a ransomware attack attributed to the Darkside group, which resulted in the exfiltration of over one terabyte of data. The compromised information included plaintext passwords from privileged access management systems, network diagrams, engineering plans, employee and customer personal data, and financial documents. The attackers leaked the stolen data online as part of an extortion scheme, exposing sensitive operational credentials and internal schematics. Although the incident prompted temporary suspensions of certain IT systems, COPEL reported that essential electricity service continuity was maintained throughout the event.