In the week of the 20th of December 2018, Costa Rica celebrated 300 consecutive days of 100% renewable energy usage. Since 2014, just 1.48% of Costa Rica's electricity used non-renewable energy. The Central American nation produces 74.77% of its energy through hydroelectric plants, 11.92% through geothermal plants, 11.08% through wind, 0.73% through biomass and 0.003% through solar, according to a report from the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE). The ICE also has plans to add a another modern geothermal plant in the region of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in the first trimester of 2019. Costa Rica was also a leader in banning plastics , placing the small country at the forefront of global environmental initiatives.
However, Costa Rica suffers from a similar problem as most other global nations - too many cars, only 2% of which are electric or hybrid. The Costa Rican President, Carlos Alvarado Quesada announced an ambitious and laudable plan to end fossil fuel usage by 2021. While this plan is unlikely to be achieved in this short timeframe, it lays the groundwork for accelerated progress towards the end goal of complete renewable energy reliance.
Comments