The Energy Transition in the Amazon Requires Solutions Tailored to Isolated Power Systems

The Amazon On panel brought together Brazil’s National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), the Ministry of Mines and Energy, CAF, Âmbar Energia and the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) to discuss grid interconnection, decarbonization, technological innovation and the challenges of delivering reliable electricity across a vast and geographically complex region.

In the Amazon, the energy transition presents a distinctive challenge: reducing emissions while improving the quality and reliability of electricity supply in hard-to-reach communities. This was the central theme of the panel “Structural and Technological Challenges of the Energy Transition in the Amazon,” moderated by Gentil Sá, Director of Brazil’s National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL).

Opening the discussion, João Pilla, CEO of Âmbar Energia and the panel’s keynote speaker, outlined the operational challenges of electricity distribution in the state of Amazonas. With only a portion of its municipalities connected to the interconnected power grid, the state relies on numerous thermal power plants and faces significant logistical constraints, compounded by droughts, flooding and long distances. Pilla presented an investment plan focused on network expansion, maintenance and digitalization, alongside initiatives to connect communities that currently depend on isolated power systems.

He stressed that the impact of these investments must be tangible for the population, in the form of better services: “This plan is worth nothing if people don’t feel the difference. There’s no point in spending billions of reais if the population doesn’t experience an improvement.” His remarks placed the quality and reliability of electricity supply at the heart of the discussion on modernization and the energy transition.

From the perspective of sustainable infrastructure and financing, Julissa Cruz, Director of Sustainable Digital Infrastructure at CAF — Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized that technology and sustainability must be embedded from the outset in public policies and project design. Digitalization can improve operational efficiency and help the energy sector adapt to extreme weather events. Regional cooperation and resource mobilization can also help close infrastructure gaps.

Applied research was another key focus. Professor Yurimiler Leyet Ruiz, from the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) and coordinator of the Technological Materials Processing Laboratory, presented research on energy storage and batteries designed for Amazonian conditions, characterized by high temperatures and humidity. The aim is to bring research conducted in the region closer to practical applications, including in small communities and isolated power systems. As he explained, the laboratory seeks to develop a “tropicalized product” engineered to withstand the environmental conditions of Amazonas.

Frederico de Araújo Teles, Director of the Department of Sectoral Policies at Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, outlined public policy instruments to reduce emissions, including the Amazon Energies Program, auctions for isolated power systems, initiatives to connect communities to the interconnected grid, and the integration of renewable energy sources with storage solutions.

The panel underscored that the energy transition in the Amazon cannot rely on a single solution. Grid interconnection, network modernization, innovation tailored to local conditions, and predictable regulatory and investment frameworks must advance in a coordinated manner to expand access to electricity and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.