Brazil, comparatively with the rest of South America, is projected to have the most electrical consumption growth in the next ten years. (See Blueprint for Green Energy in the Americas, 2009). Currently, about 80% of the electric energy in Brazil comes from hydropower and the Brazilian government has increased investment in this type of energy production to keep up with projected demand. Unfortunately, the most productive hydropower sources reside in remote areas of the Amazon which have been traditionally occupied by indigenous groups.
Protests from these groups have increased as more projects have been approved for these regions. Last week, 25 July 2010, over 300 indigenous protesters took construction workers hostage in the Mato Grosso state in the Amazon