Costa Rica Carbon Neutral Record 94 Days

Costa Rica may just be the most ambitious country in the world when it comes to clean energy. It’s turning out to be a leader in sustainability and a model country for the global community. The country set a world record this month of running 94 consecutive days on 100% clean energy on August 9th. The majority of Costa Rica’s clean energy comes from hydropower. It breaks down into 77.6 percent of electricity is generated from hydroelectric power plants; 12.34 percent from geothermal sources; 10.05 percent from wind power; and 0.01 percent from solar panels. The strike ended when the ICE had to burn 1% of fossil fuels to meet energy demands. Overall, its an impressive accomplishment. Costa Rica is the first country to meet 100% of its energy demands from clean energy. It sets a new bar for other countries to follow.

Many homes under construction are being installed with solar panels. Solar’s contribution as a source of energy is expected to substantially grow in the coming years. On the agenda is decreasing the amount of power that comes from hydropower. Costa Rica is also working to overhaul its transportation sector with the intention of having the country becoming completely independent of all fossil fuels in the by 2020. There is discussion of implementing a rail system. There is also a push to increase the number of hybrid and electric vehicles. Once a sustainable transport system is figured out, Costa Rica will be the first country to be completely running on clean power. It’s the last hurdle the country faces in achieving its goal of being a sustainability model. It’s a very big accomplishment for the country and Latin America as a whole.