Hydropower generated two-thirds of Brazil's electricity in 2020, cementing its position as the world's second largest harnesser of the environmentally-friendly form of energy production.
Some 66 percent of electricity created in the South American came from hydropower — up two percent on 2019 — with only China producing more using this technology.
Analysis by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that alongside hydropower, wind and solar generation have also grown in Brazil, and had a combined 11 percent share of the country’s electricity generation in 2020.
Biomass accounted for 8 percent, fossil fuel-fired plants made up another 12 percent of electricity generation.
Nuclear power was responsible for 2 percent.
The EIA report said: "Most of Brazil’s hydropower capacity is located north in the Amazon River Basin, but electricity demand centers are mainly along the eastern coast, particularly in the south.
"National electricity reliability is challenged because of the country’s reliance on one resource (hydropower), the long distance between hydropower generation and demand centers, continued drought conditions, and deforestation."
It added that the Brazilian government's latest 10-year plan forecasts that renewable sources will account for most of the additions to installed power capacity expansion by 2030. The largest forecast addition will come from solar.
