Costa Rica hits 300 days of clean power so far in 2017

Costa Rica has produced 100% of its energy from renewables for 300 days this year. That’s according to the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), which says the Central American […]

Costa Rica has produced 100% of its energy from renewables for 300 days this year.

That’s according to the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), which says the Central American nation has beaten its own green power record, when renewable output matched consumption for 299 of 2015’s 365 days.

With more than a month of 2017 left to go, this is likely to be significantly surpassed.

The nation of five million people has also managed 201 consecutive days of total renewable energy production since the start of May.

It currently generates more than 99% of its power through  a combination of hydropower (78%), wind (10%), geothermal energy (10%), biomass and solar (1%).

Since January, wind power has contributed 1,015 gigawatt hours, which is expected to amount to another record by the end of the year.

Despite these clean energy successes, 70% of Costa Rica’s total energy is still sourced from oil, in the form of carbon intensive transport and heating.

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