QCOSTARICA — On Friday, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) – Costa Rica’s power and light company – canceled the alert and rationing plan issued on May 6.
The State power company explained that the rains have increased the flows that feed the hydroelectric plants, raising the levels of the Angostura, Cachí, Pirrís, and Reventazón reservoirs, and providing the necessary liquid for the plants that generate electricity.
Read more: NO electricity rationing for today and into the weekend
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In addition, the Miravalles III Geothermal Power Plant (Planta Geotérmica Miravalles III), located in Bagaces, Guanacaste, has resumed operations after resolving technical problems, and the country has increased electricity generation using polluting sources.
The purchase of energy in the Central America Regional Electricity Market (In spanish: Mercado Eléctrico Regional, MER), mainly from Guatemala and El Salvador, has also been crucial to avoid rationing.
“The national energy reserves are starting to recover thanks to the arrival of the rains and the efforts of our technical teams. We are pleased that we were able to get through this period without implementing service cuts,” said Roberto Quirós, Electricity Manager at ICE.
What is the Central America Regional Electricity Market? In 1996, the six countries of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) agreed to begin a phased process of electrical integration by connecting their national electric grids, establishing a seventh market for conducting regional electricity transactions among agents, including both state and private electricity companies from each country.
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Costa Rica generates 99% of its electricity from renewables, but is challenged by drought and the government’s growing interest in fossil fuels. Only a few countries have developed an electricity grid powered mostly by renewable sources.
Earlier this year, El Pais reported that for years, Costa Rica has relied on clean energy for up to 99% of its electricity, putting it in the league of innovative countries like Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. What sets Costa Rica apart is that it’s a less developed nation with a much smaller economy.
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