Six companies to offer cleaner, cheaper energy during dry season

The state-owned Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) on Thursday announced they will grant permission to six private companies to generate electricity in the country.

Companies were selected from an initial list of 28 that participated in a public bid last year, and the final decision was made by taking into account lower costs offered for the implementation of the projects, ICE said in a press release.

The companies will develop four wind farm projects and two hydroelectric projects that will generate 137 megawatts, enough to supply the average consumption of 225,000 homes.

The electricity provided will help meet energy shortages during Costa Rica’s dry season (December-April) and will help reduce the use of oil-generated energy.

A national law (No. 7,200) stipulates that 15 percent of the country’s electricity requirements can be generated by private companies.