Why hasn't the electric power sector in Brazil been opened up like the telecommunications sector?

In the early 1990s, when I chose to study Telecommunications Engineering, job opportunities were limited: either you joined the Telebrás system or tried your luck at a private company's data processing center. Of course, there was always the option of the financial market, which highly valued the mathematical and analytical skills of engineers.

But everything changed with the privatization and liberalization of the telecommunications sector.

A flood of private investments poured into the country, bringing with it factories, multinational companies, jobs, services, partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, and a wave of software and app startups.

In a country where owning a fixed-line telephone was a luxury reserved for the wealthy, the quality of services improved significantly, democratizing access to communication.

Meanwhile, the electric power sector struggled to follow the same path, without success. Reform attempts date back to the 1990s but face opposition from powerful political lobbies. However, recently, a bill gained prominence in the National Congress, prompting an unexpected reaction from electric power utilities and their political allies.

Although the battle seems lost for opponents of the measure, they still seek to delay its approval as much as possible. Meanwhile, restrictive measures such as the "solar taxation," taxation on residential batteries, and increased tariffs on solar panels try to curb the progress of the energy transition.

But this will not be the end. Commercial pressure and international demands for cleaner and more accessible energy will eventually prevail. Similarly, countries like Iran, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh will be driven to reduce their carbon emissions. The future of energy is at stake, and change is inevitable.