While many companies around the world are making a conscious effort to use fewer fossil fuels, finding available alternative forms of energy has proved difficult.
But while companies struggle to transition to green energy in 2016, an entire country nearly succeeded in doing so.
Costa Rica reported ran its entire country on exclusively renewable energy for 250 days last year, according to the country's power operator. Its main power source -- hydropower -- is driven by the country's heavy seasonal rains as well as the power of the surrounding rivers. In all, hydropower provided 98.1% of all energy to the country. The remaining 1.9% was provided by fossil fuels. Shockingly, Costa Rica was even greener in 2015, when 98.9% of the country's energy usage was generated by renewable sources.
So what makes Costa Rica such an energy conservation haven? Firstly, its population is only about 4.9 million people, which is about 65 times smaller than that of the United States. According to energy data, it also generates 373 times less energy than the U.S. does.
Costa Rica's economy is far from industrial. It has a much stronger agricultural and tourism focus. Even if the populations of Costa Rica and the U.S. were rationalized, the U.S. would still generate far more energy to power manufacturing plants, office buildings, schools, homes, and more.
On Dec. 23, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that between January and October 2016, hydropower, wind, and solar generated 15% of the country's energy supply, a 5% increase from the year before. Two-thirds more of our energy was generated by natural gas and coal, and the remainder was generated by nuclear energy.
But green energy companies are plentiful in the United States. Our problem isn't a lack of energy generation, but rather that the American people don't have enough choices for energy sources.
In many areas of the country, there is only once choice for energy utilities, meaning that many residents don't even have the option of choosing a green energy company to provide heat or electricity.
Energy deregulation provides a freedom of choice when it comes to energy sources. Starion Energy is a green energy company you can feel good about using. Check to see what sort of energy we can provide in your area!
Citation: http://mashable.com/2017/01/01/costa-rica-renewable-energy-2016/#Xk.Xb_MEtOq3
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