Costa Rica Is Running Only on Renewable Energy

Costa Rica has now powered the entire country for more than 75 days using only renewable energy. The country hasn't needed fossil fuel for all of 2015 thanks to hydropower and a heavy rainy season.

The nation of 5 million inhabitants also gets renewable energy contributions from a mix of solar, geothermal and wind power.

Because Costa Rica needs a steady flow of water to maintain such an impressive feat, the Central American nation has budgeted nearly $1 billion to tap into its many volcanoes, expanding its use of geothermal power.

Geothermal energy generated 10 percent of the nation's power last year.

The country tops an impressive list of nations producing much of their power from renewable sources. Reports Quartz, Sweden, Bulgaria and Estonia have already met their 2020 renewable energy goals.

Denmark creates 40 percent of its energy from wind. And the Dutch territory Bonaire is already producing nearly 100 percent of its energy from renewables and hopes to go over the top using algae as a biofuel.

Costa Rica aims to be entirely carbon neutral by 2021, reports inhabit.com.

From Discovery News