Abstract The development of the Amazon has attracted attention for a variety of reasons, but especially because of its contribution to global carbon emissions and the importance of the forest as a pool of biodiversity. Less attention has been paid to the role the Brazilian Amazon might play in supplying energy for Brazil's growing population, and the energy needs of the Amazon population itself. Opposition to large hydropower installations has attracted international concern, but alternative sources of energy, including biomass, also deserve consideration. In seeking a better balance between economic and demographic growth, and the sustainable use of valuable natural resources, the Amazon is likely to provide lessons of global, as well as regional, significance.