Solar, Wind Account for 24% of Brazil's Power Mix in 2024

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Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--For decades, renewable resources have dominated Brazil's electricity matrix, and solar and wind continue to gain ground.

Solar and wind power generation represented 23.7% of Brazil's total power mix last year, according to data from the 2025 National Energy Balance (BEN), published by Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Energy Research Company (EPE). Wind power generation in terms of gigawatt-hours (GWh) increased 12.4% year over year to account for 14.1% of the total power generation, while solar saw a massive boost of 39.6% to end with a 9.3% share.

Hydropower, the dominant form of electricity in Brazil, experienced a yearly production decline of 1%, accounting for 55.3% of the country's electricity generation. Hydropower's installed capacity accounted for 46.5% of the nation's total.

Overall, electricity supply in Brazil in 2024 increased by 5.5% to 762.9 terawatt-hours (TWh). Renewable sources accounted for 88.2% of the electricity generated in the country last year, continuing a trend that dates back to 2004, with renewable technologies representing over 70% of the national electricity output.

Between 2023 and 2024, solar and wind's installed capacity increased by 28.1% and 3%, respectively. This is the result of large- and-micro-and-mini distributed generation (MMGD) plants.

MMGD currently accounts for 17.6%, or 42.7 gigawatts (GW), of the nation's interconnected system capacity, according to Brazil's National Operator of the Electric System (ONS), with solar power being the dominant source of this generation. Projections indicate growth to 65.1 GW by 2029.

Wind's installed power capacity is at 33.9 GW and is expected to grow to 36.1 GW in five years. Solar power, now at 17.2 GW, is forecasted to reach 24 GW in 2029, based on ONS's expectations.

By diversifying with wind, solar and MMGD, Brazil will reduce its dependency on hydropower plants. This diversification is particularly important in years with severe droughts that can affect the nation's hydropower plants, forcing increased consumption of other power sources or rationing.

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