Brazil now has the cleanest power sector out of all the major economies in the world.
93% of electricity from clean sources during first nine months of 2023
68% of generation from Hydropower
Solar generation increased 75% through Q3 2023 (vs. first 3 quarters of 2022)
Brazil is an impressive climate success story that is decades in the making. Deployment of renewable energy solutions grew along with industrialization of Brazil’s economy, now the 11th largest economy in the world.
The main driver of Brazil’s climate leadership has been the buildout of Hydropower.
“Since the 1970s, Brazil has made the energy sector a central element of its economy, and hydroelectric plants have become the solution for electricity production. This decade saw significant investment in hydropower, involving the construction of the world’s largest hydropower plants such as Itaipu, Tucuruí, and the Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex”
While in more recent years, Brazil has added to its hydro-power success, with rapidly growing solar deployment, and wind power. In fact, solar generation increased from nominal levels in 2017 to nearly 20 gigawatts in 2023. The solar generation investments provide a buffer, especially in times like these, when the Amazon experiences severe droughts.
Brazil's climate success offers an example of what's possible by leaning fully into renewable energy!