United States – Brazil | Energy Collaboration

A United States-Brazil partnership between the United States Consulate General in Recife, the Pernambuco Secretary of Environment and Sustainability, and the non-profit Renewables 100 Policy Institute has been forged to advance knowledge exchange on clean energy best practices, as well as to lay the groundwork to demonstrate lessons learned on the island of Fernando de Noronha, a World Heritage Site off the coast of Pernambuco, Brazil.  Specifically, the partnership has aimed to create an initial action plan for showcasing innovative clean technology solutions and transforming the island into a model for transitioning to a carbon neutral, 100% renewable energy system across sectors, including electricity generation, transportation fuels, water desalination and treatment, and waste management.

Fernando de Noronha would be the first region in Brazil, and among the first in Latin America, to change its energy supply from being almost entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels to one reliant on 100% local renewable energy without adding hydropower. In so doing, it would aim to protect its environment, bolster its economy, and show the region and the world best practices for adopting an all renewable energy system.

High level participants from the US included representatives from industry (e.g. Tesla/Solar City, GE, 8 Minute Energy, ESS inc.) government institutions (e.g. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US Department of Commerce, California Energy Commission, California Independent System Operator, Hawaii’s State Representative and Office of Economic Development), and research (e.g. University of California Los Angeles, one of California’s leading academic institutions in sustainability)