Electricity access in the Brazilian Amazon: governance and lived experience

This paper explores the lived experience of top-down universal electricity access governance among three remote communities in the Brazilian Amazon. Through interviews and surveys among participating households, we analyzed and compared access to education, health services, and income through the lens of energy access. While the three case study communities should be beneficiaries of the “Luz para Todos” universal electricity access program, our findings suggest that their remoteness and the lack of incentives for last-mile connection inherent in this governance arrangement have only seen one of them benefit from solar PV and battery provision through this program. While this community fares marginally better in terms of education, health service provision, and income, it still lacks a reliable electricity supply. Among the other communities in the local state of Pará, those with access to locally governed and maintained microgrids, integrating interconnected solar PV and battery systems, display the greatest potential for resilient energy access. This paper concludes with recommendations to shift from a top-down electricity access supply logic to a more decentralized governance logic which supports reliance in access through community embedding.