Amazon communities face electricity shortages in remote regions

In the Amazon region, approximately 1.5 million Brazilians lack access to public electricity services. While 99.8% of Brazilian households are connected to the power grid, the remaining 0.2% are largely concentrated in isolated areas within the Legal Amazon.

In communities such as Anã, located four hours by boat from Santarém in the Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve, residents rely on diesel generators that provide only three to four hours of electricity per night, supplemented by some solar systems. This scarcity impacts essential services, including healthcare, education, and communication. The lack of reliable refrigeration affects food security, forcing families to rely on salted or processed foods due to the inability to store meat and fish.

The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) is working with researchers and civil society organizations to address the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges of providing power to these geographically difficult areas.