Hydroelectric Energy: An Agent of Change in Amazonia (Northern Brazil)

Abstract

Perceptions of the Amazonian resource base are changing, accompanying unprecedented energy development. Government policies are directed toward the integration of Amaz onia into the national economy. Infrastructure formation is a fundamental step toward this objective, and hydroelectric energy forms an essential part of such a program. The costs of hydroelectric development in Amazonia, as well as Brazilian perceptions of the region, complicate resource management. Without hydroelectric development, Amazonia would continue as a resource-yielding region without any return to the national economy. Hydroelectric power may draw different kinds of industries into the region and may gradually redraw the economic map of Brazil.