Brazil: Small hydro makes waves

Overview

With lengthy delays in the approval and construction of large hydroelectric plants and natural gas supply concerns, investors have begun pouring billions of dollars into small hydroelectric projects (SHP) as a viable alternative means of meeting Brazil’s growing energy needs. Brazil has a potential installed capacity of over 14,800 megawatts in SHPs, and projects can be built relatively quickly due to their smaller size and less bureaucratic environmental licensing processes....