Abstract
Brazil' s energy industry is at a crossroads. After a decade of reforms and
privatizations, Brazil is reevaluating its plans to meet growing energy needs
following a crippling power shortage that rocked the nation in 2001 and a
change of government on January 1, 2003.
The country' s energy policies of the last decade have been highly successful.
Brazil has transformed itself from a major oil importer whose rising imports
from the Middle East were leaving the country with crippling deficits to an
expected net exporter of crude oil before the end of this decade. But the
country' s energy use is expected to continue to climb in the coming years, and
without further restructuring of its energy sector, Brazil may have difficulty
ensuring that sufficient investment can be made to continue to meet the rising
need for fuel and electricity. In particular, Brazil needs to address the
future status of state oil giant Petroleo Brasilero S.A. (Petrobras), whose
pervasive energy sector monopoly is hindering the development of competitive
markets and discouraging needed private investment.
Approximately twenty million Brazilians living in remote communities do not
have access to reliable electrical power. While the majority of these
underserved reside in Brazil' s Northeast, the remainder dwell all over the
country -- even in the well-developed states of the South and Southeast
regions.
Brazil' s untapped potential to employ renewable energy resources such as
biomass, solar (photovoltaic and thermal), small hydro and wind for
electricity generation is tremendous. Recent economic analyses indicate that
these indigenous energy sources can provide cost-effective and
environmentally-sound alternatives to fossil fuel-based generation. With a
potential $25 billion renewable energy market, business opportunities are
limitless. However, government resources alone cannot meet the demand for
off-grid energy, and those resources that are currently available support
highly-subsidized programs.
Aruvian Research presents a focus on the Renewable Energy Industry in Brazil
in its report - Analyzing Renewable Energy in Brazil. The report is a
complete analysis of the various sectors of renewable energy in Brazil.
Starting with an analysis of the overall business environment in Brazil, the
report analyzes the following renewable commodities: small hydro power,
biomass, solar, and wind energy. Brazil' s environment for the development of
renewable energy is also discussed in details in the report. Regulatory
frameworks, government incentives, government programs promoting the use of
renewable energy, etc., are all described in the report.
A comprehensive overview of the Brazilian electric power industry is included
to indicate the rising demand for energy in the country and how Brazil is
planning to meet these requirements. A brief profile of the global energy
industry and a profile of the Brazilian energy industry are also included to
further enhance the reader' s understanding of the renewable energy market in
Brazil.
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