Impressive, Costa Rica!
Costa Rica has just set an
impressive record:
Costa Rica has achieved a clean energy milestone by using 100 per cent renewable energy for a record 75 days in a row.
The feat was achieved thanks to heavy rainfall, which powered four hydroelectric plants in the first three months of the year, the state-run Costa Rican Electricity Institute said.
No fossil fuels have been burnt to generate electricity since December 2014, in the state which is renowned for its clean energy policies.
How did they get it done? By investing in infrastructure, thus making it easier to make the transition to newer technology:
The World Economic Forum ranked the country second in Latin America, behind Uruguay, for its electricity and telecommunications infrastructure in its 2014 Global Competitiveness Index.
Unlike Costa Rica, the U.S. electricity system is outdated and
in need of serious upgrades:
Currently 70 percent of transmission lines and power transformers are older than 25 years and 60 percent of the country’s circuit breakers more than 30 years old. ASCE explained that an aging infrastructure combined with an economy that is increasingly dependent on electricity, creates an even more urgent demand for action.
The U.S. has reversed a three-decade decline in
electricity grid investment, but we've got a long way to go.
So, to all the U.S. climate change deniers - knock it off! Let's get busy building the infrastructure necessary to move as far away from fossil fuels as possible.