Costa Rica: Geothermal Energy Provides Over 13% of Electricty

Electricity from renewable energy sources in Costa Rica close to 96.4% during the first half of 2016

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

According to preliminary data from the Centro Nacional de Control de Energía, which is part of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), electricity production based on clean, renewable energy sources was close to 96.4% during the first half of 2016.

In spite of the drought affecting Costa Rica most of the first six months of the year, the bulk of the electricity came from hydro (69.4%); the rest from geothermal (13.4%), wind (12.2%), biomass (1.4%) and solar (less than 1%). A total of 4,242.6 Gwh were generated in the country during this period; only about 3.6% came from fossil-fuel burning plants.

According to ICE’s Executive President, the 96.4% was reached mainly because of the very high clean generation during June, i.e. about 99.6%. He added that at the end of 2016, in Costa Rica only 2% of the electricity may be produced from burning fossil fuels.

Sources:

• Producción de energía renovable alcanza 96,36% en Costa Rica
• Costa Rica cerró primer semestre con 96,36% de generación eléctrica renovable

(Thanks to GRC Member Marcelo Lippmann, Staff Scientist (retired) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the submission.)