Northeast Brazil's renewable energy boom fuels regional growth and draws Ibero‑American cooperation at EVEx summit

Renewable energy, tourism and agriculture are driving a new development cycle in Brazil's Northeast. The region now supplies 91% of the country's wind power and 50% of its solar generation, attracting data‑center investments, advanced research campuses and logistics projects. IBGE forecasts annual growth of 3.4% between 2026 and 2034, citing a comparative advantage from the global shift to clean energy and the emergence of green‑hydrogen corridors to Rotterdam and Asian markets.

The Energy Virtual Experience 2026 (EVEx) was held in João Pessoa, bringing together officials from Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Chile and other Ibero‑American nations. André Pepitone, executive finance director of Itaipu Binacional, highlighted the Northeast's rising role in the energy transition and called for deeper regional cooperation. The event underscored João Pessoa's ambition to become a hub for international dialogue on renewable power.

These trends signal a structural shift for the 54.6 million‑strong population of the Northeast, which aims to raise its per‑capita GDP from 42% of the Southeast level in 2020 toward a more balanced and sustainable economy.