Electricity in Brazil—Part 2 [History]

The period following World War II (WWII) saw a considerable increase in demand for electrical power throughout Brazil, particularly in the industrialized states. After WWII, the regions of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro faced a serious shortage of electric energy. For many reasons, power companies did not meet this demand. The problems were pervasive: the depression years of the 1930s had seen a low investment in electrical generation; the international turmoil in manufacturing during WWII made it very difficult to import equipment. Power failures symbolized and reflected the exhaustion of the previous model of coexistence between a smaller local national capital and larger foreign companies. Together, these companies constituted isolated systems in terms of technique and planning, which resulted in the business being unable to meet an increase in demand that was beyond the ability or willingness to expand.