Costa Rica keeps breaking record after record. Not only in terms of biodiversity and quality of life, but also when it comes to renewable energy production. 2016 closed with 98.12 per cent of electricity production from renewable sources and without the use of fossil fuels.

While in the first months of the year the Central American country had run for 76 consecutive days using only hydroelectric, geothermal and wind power for electricity generation, by the end of the year the tally had reached 250 days on which electricity demand was met by clean, low-carbon sources alone. An electricity mix that meant Costa Rica did not need to use a single drop of fossil fuels.

250 days of renewable sources

The announcement was made by Ice (Costa Rica's Electricity Institute), which highlighted how the greatest contribution came from water, covering 74.35 per cent of the country's total electricity needs. And this despite April having been the driest month in two years. The drought most likely prevented the country from reaching 100 per cent and forced it to draw on that 1.88 per cent of fossil fuels in the overall count.

Hydroelectric and geothermal provide the greatest contribution

Ice president Carlos Obregón nonetheless remains confident about 2017, declaring: "We will open four new wind farms next year and we expect favourable weather conditions in the river basins that feed our hydroelectric plants." After hydroelectric, the greatest contribution came from geothermal, at 12.74 per cent, followed closely by wind (10.30 per cent). Solar and biomass still account for negligible percentages.

It is true that Costa Rica has just under 5 million inhabitants and an energy demand 30 times lower than Italy's. But what is certain is that from islands to small nations scattered across the globe, the energy transition has begun.