Challenges and opportunities for universal access to electricity in the Amazon

Abstract

The Brazilian energy planning has been progressively emphasizing the use of renewable energy sources, however for some initiatives such as the Light for All Program, these energy alternatives are being treated as a secondary activity and difficult to implement. This work aims to analyze how the Brazilian government has been adapting its institutional structure, technology and funding to provide universal access to electricity in remote areas. According to official information, this initiative has proven effective in its first phase, which was developed by the extension of conventional network. However, the study concludes that the program is currently not converges to full compliance with the access to electricity in remote areas in the Amazon and three main challenges were identified. There is a need for i) adjustment of current institutional structures; ii) harmonize technologies to the regional context; and iii) use government funds more effectively. The research points out ways and alternatives to what is being done in isolated systems, with the proposal to contribute to the results of the study for the development of public policies, research projects, meet technology providers and communities in general, aimed at achieving access universal to electricity in remote areas in the Amazon.