Costa Rica went almost 3 months using only renewable energy

Last week, Costa Rica announced that it hasn't used any carbon-burning electricity since the start of 2015, thanks to a rainy winter providing plenty of fuel for its hydroelectric dams. So far, "2015 has been a year of electricity totally friendly to Costa Rica's environment," the state Costa Rican Energy Institute said in a press release.

Seventy-five days is reportedly a renewable-energy world record, and Costa Rica is planning to obliterate even its own benchmark, becoming entirely carbon-neutral by 2021. Already, last year it generated about 88 percent of its power from hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, and biomass sources, and it has new geothermal plants in the works.

The benchmark hasn't been unduly onerous for Costa Rica's residents, either. As Katie Valentine notes at ThinkProgress, the bounty of hydroelectric power has prompted ICE to announce a 7 to 15 percent cut in rates for businesses and households, effective April.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up