Rio de Janeiro is located on Brazil’s Southeast coast, set between forested mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is world-renowned for its natural landscapes and diversity of cultures and, in 2012, became the first “urban cultural landscape” to be included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.6 Founded in 1565, Rio de Janeiro served as the capital of Brazil from 1763 until 1960, when the headquarters of the Federal Government was transferred to Brasilia and the city of Rio became the state of Guanabara. In 1975, the states of Rio de Janeiro and Guanabara merged, and Rio de Janeiro returned to the status of city and became the capital of the Rio de Janeiro state and largest city of the metropolitan region. It is Brazil’s second-largest city in terms of population and economy.
Rio de Janeiro’s Urban Power Profile provides an overview of the city’s power system context and challenges, key shocks and stresses impacting energy resilience projects and case studies on energy resilience projects including a state-led hackathon to create a smart metering system and expand energy access, as well as solar installation trainings that work to empower vulnerable communities.
With support from the Rockefeller Foundation via the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and S&P Global Foundation, Urban Power is building assessment and project development tools and working with cities to develop energy projects that help them achieve a green and just energy transition, reach their net-zero ambitions, and deliver multiple resilience co-benefits.