Costa Rica's fossil-fuel free electricity use wins praise from leading experts
Costa Rica's fossil-fuel free electricity use wins praise from leading experts
Country's environment minister is not a 'career politician' but an academic who knows the field
Jess Staufenberg |
10 hours ago
General view of hydroelectric dam Cachi in Costa Rica Reuters
Costa Rica's emerging status as a green energy leader has won renewed praise from experts discussing the country's 99 per cent fossil-free electricity use.
The central American country achieved an almost completely carbon-neutral footprint when sourcing electricity for its citizens in 2015, according to the Costa Rican News.
About 18 per cent of all its energy use was electric, official figures showed, with 99 per cent of that electricity sourced from green energy supplies. The other main sources of energy in the country include biomass, hydrocarbons and coal.
This does mean that while 99 per cent of its electricity was renewable, this was only 17.8 per cent of the total energy used by the country - and given that the country's main industries rely on carbon-heavy transportation services, it remains a large consumer of fossil fuels.
More:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/costa-ricas-fossil-fuel-free-electricity-use-wins-praise-from-leading-experts-a6873556.html
Environment & Energy:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112797006
