SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Costa Rica has shown the world what is possible this year by achieving 99 percent renewable energy generation. Michael wrote back in April that the country had not used any fossil fuels for electricity so far at that point in the year and, in fact, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute said in a statement that 285 days this year were fossil fuel-free.
Costa Rica is lucky to have a wealth of renewable energy sources to choose from. The bulk of its power generation comes from hydropower thanks to a large river system and heavy tropical rainfalls. The rest is made up of a mix of geothermal energy, which the country is also rich in, wind, biomass and solar power.
The institute said that even though 2015 was a very dry year, Costa Rica was still ahead of its renewable energy targets and goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2021. The country doesn't just want to hit 100 percent renewable energy, but it also wants to clean up energy consumption in general like moving the transportation sector away from fossil fuels and becoming less dependent on hydropower by adding more geothermal energy plants and harnessing energy from other sources.
The citizens of the country have benefited from the cost of energy actually falling by 12% this year and the institute expects it to keep falling in the future.
Imagine what a difference a 99% fossil-fuel free United States would make to geopolitics.
Prior coverage: Costa Rica Gets 100% of Its Power from Renewables for 1st Quarter of 2015.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by gnuman on Thursday December 24 2015, @04:43AM
Imagine what a difference a 99% fossil-fuel free United States would make to geopolitics.
And China, India and EU. Then we are talking.
Anyway, good for Costa Rica. There isn't much reason why tropics couldn't be carbon neutral sooner rather than later.
(Score: 3, Informative) by frojack on Thursday December 24 2015, @05:17AM
And imagine a US or a China that actually built enough dams to take full advantage of all possible hydro power.
The world would be up in arms. Instead we are removing dams faster than we can building them.
The luck of Costa Rica is built right into its name. Rich Coast. Its just a matter of a lucky location. Could Mexico do this? Nicaragua? Panama?
Probably, but Costa Rica's Government blocked drilling [ticotimes.net] a few years back, and all they import is gasoline and LPG. (Oddly they they did this AFTER proving that they did have some reserves, and could probably meet their own needs for gas.)
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by CortoMaltese on Thursday December 24 2015, @05:47AM
Nearby Honduras is beefing up its renewable energy consumption, with big solar projects (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/honduras-emerges-as-central-americas-solar-success-story [greentechmedia.com]) and hydro, making the case for poor countries switching to cleaner energy while at the same time expanding their economy.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 24 2015, @09:46PM
Centralized and privately-owned by a megacorporation, of course.
Honduras Is Sold as a Libertarian Paradise. I Went--and Discovered a Capitalist Nightmare [alternet.org]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Thursday December 24 2015, @05:58AM
This is just a sneak preview. As long as $/W of solar installation declines, it will continue to ramp up, even without government subsidies. Solar power generated grew [wikipedia.org] from 2.6 TWh in 2004 to 185.9 TWh in 2014. Fusion will come along in a few decades, maybe sooner if alternative approaches work. Coal will be history. Natural gas will linger until the end of the century depending on how successful fusion is.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 24 2015, @06:07AM
The Chinese aren't shy about building hydroelectric dams--don't forget they have the Three Gorges Dam [usgs.gov].
The Americans who tear down dams are probably thinking of the fish, or of people downriver who might suffer if a dam gave way. Who really knows why Americans do things?
As for the Costa Ricans, I credit them for not cutting down their forest. Had they done so, hydropower might be impractical, for the reservoirs would fill quickly with silt.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Thursday December 24 2015, @07:13AM
> Who really knows why Americans do things?
$
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 24 2015, @09:52PM
REGLUE [google.com]
The work here of paulej72, The Mighty Buzzard, and NCommander, to name 3, also rebuts your assertion.
The efforts of some folks are intended to simply make the world a better place.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]