Socio-environmental impacts and the installation of wind farms in northeastern Brazil

Keywords: Wind energy, Political Ecology, Renewable Energy, Socio-environmental impacts, Brazil
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

Wind energy has been growing rapidly in Brazil and by 2022 is the second main source of energy, with 22.5 GW of installed capacity, after hydroelectricity. It is estimated that by 2026 the installed capacity will exceed 39 GW. The northeast of the country concentrates most of the wind farms, with more than 88% of the country's wind capacity. In this context, the research presents some reflections on the discourse of "clean" energy, with emphasis on environmental, social, and economic aspects, widely defended and supported by the government and local leaderships. The research highlights the similarity in the installation process in the Northeastern states, and the defense of the speech of job generation, income improvement, and quality of life in the communities, a speech that does not match reality in most cases. The concentration of wind farms in the coastal plain, an area of high vulnerability, with environments of dunes, coastal sandbanks, mangroves, lagoons, and diversified fauna. In the state of Maranhão these same types of environments have been used for wind power generation. The impacts of the installation and their effects on the environment have been observed in traditional communities, particularly small fishermen and shellfish gatherers, who began to have their everyday lives and economic and social activities altered after the installation of wind farms in their communities. New wind farms coming to be installed in the state of Maranhão follow the same pattern, with conflicts and even lawsuits between companies and communities residing in the areas.