Costa Rica went almost 3 months using only renewable energy

The Dam in Turrialba, Costa Rica, has helped make Costa Rica a green leader — (Image credit: iStock)

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.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.