Costa Rica used a mix of hydropower and geothermal to produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources for the first 75 days of the year, according to the state-owned Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).
“Boosted by good rains at four of the country’s main hydroelectric plants, ICE said that, according to National Electric System figures, it had not been necessary to use hydrocarbons to supply the country’s grid at all in 2015,” RenewEconomy reports. With hydro reservoirs in good shape, the Institute expects the trend to continue into the second quarter of the year
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Costa Rica supplies electricity to 99.4% of households at some of the lowest rates in Latin America, Vorrath writes. The country relies on hydro for up to 80% of its electricity, and is embarking on a US$958 million project to build several new geothermal stations.
