Costa Rica Becomes First Country to Run On 100% Renewable Energy
Burlington, USA was one of the first cities in the world to run on renewable energy and now Costa Rica has becomes the first country to do so. This is a huge achievement for Costa Rica but a huge worry for traditional energy companies says author of new book iDisrupted.
An environmental milestone has been achieved, the country has announced that it has only used renewable energy to generate power for the first 75 days of the year, a first for any country. John Straw, author of iDisrupted explains that his theory of traditional energy companies being demolished can be supported by the latest announcement by Costa Rica.
John Straw explains; "Even though Costa Rica is one of the smallest countries in the world, there's clearly a determination and principle here. It's been 75 days since Costa Rica's power grid last had a sip of petroleum and thanks to heavy rainfall at the start of the year, the Central American nation has been able to provide 100 percent of its energy needs via renewable resources."
John continues; "Costa Rica has invested heavily national power grid. 80 percent of Costa Rica's entire energy budget comes from its four hydroelectric plants with another 13 percent derived from geothermal stations and solar, wind and fossil fuels round out the remaining 7 percent."
Fossil fuel alternatives are not without drawbacks. The nation's hydro-electric dams may be working at capacity right now, thanks to those heavy rains at the start of the year, but should the country face drought (or even just seasonal water shortages), Costa Rica may have to revert back to petroleum power in order to keep the lights on.
This certainly represents a major milestone in green energy production but the author also recognises that at this moment in time there's no guarantee that other nations will be able to replicate this.