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 Petróleo 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.

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.

Major industry players such as Electrobras, Petrobras, Copersucar, etc., are also profiled in the Aruvian's Analyzing Renewable Energy in Brazil.