国际水电协会

Into the 21st century, hydropower continues to catalyse growth around the world. For example, it has played a key role in transforming Brazil into the seventh largest country by GDP in 2012; not least through a period of very rapid economic growth between 2000 and 2010, which saw its increase in (nominal GDP) value only outpaced by the USA and China. This was only possible with the massive increases in electricity output that have been delivered by its investment in hydropower. In 2010, Brazil produced 349,000 GWh of electricity, and by 2011 this had increased by 40 per cent to 489,000GWh. Remarkably, just 2 per cent of this energy came from imports, and around 80 per cent from hydropower.