Energy Transition in the Brazilian Electric Power System

Abstract

This article summarizes key changes in market and regulatory governance arrangements in the electricity sector in Brazil over the last three decades. The Brazilian reform process during this period can be described as a series of attempts to move toward a market-driven system, interrupted by ad hoc interventions of a political nature or to respond to specific crises. This series of events reveals the pathway of a system that managed to significantly expand and diversify its electricity power mix by harnessing its renewable endowment. The historical role played by hydropower plants with reservoirs—along with a highly integrated electricity system—in smoothing production over time has been considerably diminished and will continue to be as climate change takes its toll. Thus, improvements in market and governance arrangements are required to promote a more diverse electricity mix, with variable renewable energy and demand management playing much more significant roles.