(task) Costa Rica Powered Entirely by Renewables So Far This Year » EcoWatch

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> http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/23/costa-rica-powered-by-renewable-energy/ <http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/23/costa-rica-powered-by-renewable-energy/>
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> Costa Rica Powered Entirely by Renewables So Far This Year
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> For the last 82 days, Costa Rica has powered itself using only renewable energy <http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/> sources.
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> <http://ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/costarica.jpg>
> The country’s tropical climate with high rainfall, mountainous interior and low population gives it a distinct advantage in terms of renewable energy. Photo credit: Shutterstock <http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-126537887/stock-photo-a-waterfall-cascades-into-a-large-pool-on-cocos-island-costa-rica-cocos-is-known-for-it-large.html?src=AmgiuCY_CbLFGIP77hRXgA-1-13>
> That means the Latin American country hasn’t had to use fossil fuels <http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/> at all so far in 2015.
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> Last week, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) announced <http://www.grupoice.com/wps/portal/gice/acercaDe/acerca_ice_sala_prensa/acerca_ice_sala_prensa_comun/!ut/p/c5/jY3NCoJAFIWfxRfwXp0fZ5aTDqgwKankuBGLMCE1Iuz1c9VO8pzldz4ONLB26pah797DPHUPqKHhbZl6WRwKiplOI0w4SRjjDHPCVm5562NBi1IZRRIeoioM1SU1RFS4x_5xzKVeuTbyxDUi0j02bkT9-z6DPcAxnscbWGiCjamQgkMJNoQUmuEyup_r6KLrS19SFhDOPIGCEagjeI5VVS33F-sd5wunx_G3/dl3/d3/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/> that 100 percent of the country’s electricity came from renewables for the first 75 days of the year, as heavy rains boosted the country’s hydroelectric power plants.
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> Wind <http://ecowatch.com/?s=wind>, solar <http://ecowatch.com/?s=solar>, biomass and geothermal energy <http://tcktcktck.org/2014/07/new-geothermal-project-help-costa-rica-reach-carbon-neutrality-2021/63585> have also helped power the country.
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> Costa Rica is one of the most developed countries in Latin America and ranks above some European Union countries in annual prosperity rankings.
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> The country also boasts strong green credentials <http://tcktcktck.org/2014/06/latin-american-nations-take-lead-limiting-carbon-emissions/62828> on energy policy.
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> In 2009, it announced a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2021, and the country already gets around 88 percent of its total electricity from renewable sources.
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> The country’s tropical climate with high rainfall, mountainous interior and low population gives it a distinct advantage in terms of renewable energy.
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> Its reliance on renewables prompted the country to lower electricity rates by 12 percent, and the ICE predicts they could continue to drop in the second quarter of the year.
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> However, the country’s reliance on hydroelectricity—which provides 68 percent of the country’s electricity—also makes it vulnerable to climate change <http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/>. Any change to rainfall patterns could disrupt its supply.
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> In addition to hydroelectricity, Costa Rica receives 15 percent of its electricity needs from geothermal <http://ecowatch.com/2014/08/28/geothermal-12000-megawatts/> plants, while five percent is supplied by wind.
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> Solar and biomass also contribute to the country’s energy mix.
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