ICE

Works will be carry out all week at specific times and areas, according to a schedule released by ICE.

Workers from the state-run Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) on Thursday finished placing the last layer of rock and earth that will support the Reventazón hydroelectric project, which when completed will become the largest in Central America.

A Civil and Administrative Tribunal ordered the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) to pay ₡500,000 ($945) to two of its customers for a lack of signal that prevented them from seeking help after a traffic accident three years ago. The plaintiffs say the amount awarded is far too little.

There is much to commemorate: Not only does Jorge Washington turn 75 years old this month, but it is allegedly the first urban public school in Costa Rica to harness solar power effectively.

A new group called “Hacia Basura Cero” is lobbying for a continued ban on thermal processes that convert solid waste to trash.

Despite Costa Rica’s talk of its commitment to promoting consumer-based renewable energy sources to produce electricity, the country is lagging in its efforts. One setback involves the country’s electricity distributors, who some say are dragging their feet on requirements to offer customers the option of connecting to the national grid with small-scale electricity generation projects from renewable sources.

The National Association of Municipalities on Wednesday will present a complaint to an administrative court challenging a moratorium on the use of trash to generate electricity. The temporary ban was decreed by the Environment Ministry last June.

A delegation led by President Luis Guillermo Solís on Monday will meet with representatives of the Japanese government to sign a $550 million loan to finance the construction of three geothermal power plants in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.

Small-scale energy production, such as solar panels, saw a regulatory hurdle removed that could help combat late-dry season energy rationing and reduce the country’s reliance on petroleum. The country’s electricity regulator, the Public Services Regulatory Authority, announced a series of changes on Wednesday.

The state-owned Costa Rican Electricity Institute on Wednesday unveiled options for new 4G LTE mobile network services under its trademark Kölbi. Service will be available in March to some mobile users, while iPhone owners will have to wait another month.