SOLAR ENERGY, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITY

THE CASE OF SÃO GONÇALO DO GURGUÉIA (PI), BRAZIL

Abstract

The expansion of renewable energy sources has often been presented as a mechanism capable of promoting sustainable development, economic dynamism, and the reduction of territorial inequalities. In Brazil, the increasing installation of photovoltaic projects in historically vulnerable regions has strengthened expectations regarding job creation, investment attraction, and improvements in local living conditions. In this context, this article analyzes the relationship between the expansion of solar energy, state action, and the evolution of social vulnerability in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Gurguéia, located in the southern region of the state of Piauí, taking the implementation process of the São Gonçalo Solar Complex as its empirical reference. The study adopts a quantitative approach complemented by documentary analysis, drawing on data from the Federal Government’s Unified Registry for Social Programs (Cadastro Único), the Cadastro Único Vulnerability Index (IVCAD), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and state planning documents related to the expansion of renewable energy sources. The findings indicate that, although the project contributed to attracting investments, strengthening economic activity, and consolidating the municipality as an important photovoltaic generation hub, high levels of social vulnerability persist, particularly in dimensions related to employment and income. The analysis of state planning instruments reveals consistent governmental action in promoting energy expansion; however, no equivalent evidence was identified of territorially targeted policies capable of converting economic benefits into productive inclusion and the expansion of material citizenship. The study concludes that the expansion of solar energy alone was insufficient to promote structural transformations in the living conditions of the local population, reinforcing the importance of state intervention through public policies aimed at social inclusion, opportunity creation, and a broader distribution of the benefits associated with the energy transition.