QCOSTARICA — To avoid blackouts during the coming dry (summer) season, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) – the State monopoly on electricity – says it is already preparing a series of measures to deal with the lack of rain that the country is currently experiencing.
At a press conference, ICE authorities called for calm and guaranteed that the electricity supply will not be affected, with specialists presenting the hydrometeorological projections for next year, mainly those that affect the production of energy with water and wind.
“The planning that we carry out at ICE will allow us to have sufficient resources to generate the energy required in the dry season, knowing that demand is very likely to increase. Unlike in 2024, the rented thermal plants will be available from the beginning of the year,” said Agustín Murillo, ICE’s Electricity Manager.
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Murillo pointed out that this will make up for the absence of rains typical of summer.
“It is also projected that wind will have low availability, so we must have local and imported support when we need it, in addition to the contribution of private generation,” added the ICE manager.
As a result of the measures applied, the levels of the regulation reservoirs – such as Arenal, Cachí, Reventazón, and Pirrís – are in the process of recovery.
No rate increases or blackouts
During the press conference on Tuesday at the División Operación y Control del Sistema Eléctrico (Docse) -antiguo Cence – in Santo Domingo de Heredia, ICE authorities also assured today that with the planning carried out there will be enough electricity to meet demand during the dry season; and an energy efficiency and savings campaign will continue to avoid a rate increase.
“We are certain that if these conditions are met, this variability in terms of rainfall, we could ensure that the rate remains the same,” said Murillo when asked if it would really be possible to prevent an increase in the electricity rate due to the costs involved in thermal generation and imports through the Mercado Eléctrico Regional (MER).
Murillo added that this year, unlike for the last dry season, they are better prepared and that with the current scenarios, there is a guarantee to cover national demand. That is no blackouts or rationing is expected in 2025.
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“We have the guarantee that the best effort has been made in favor of the people of Costa Rica, all the knowledge and engineering experience of the institution to guarantee that there will be no rationing and that we will have the satisfaction of the demand in 2025,” said Murillo.
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