Countries that Run Exclusively on Renewable Energy
As suggested in this beautiful video, Iceland, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Norway will soon be joined by several others in ridding themselves of fossil fuels in their grid-mix.
Of course, it’s important to understand that pulling this off requires excellent renewable resources compared to load. It’s also greatly benefited by good neighbors to which to sell off-peak power, and competitive conditions that tend to make coal and natural gas relatively expensive.
On top of that, it’s a great help to have a population that values a clean environment. The work I did to try to bring electric transportation (powered by solar and wind) into Bermuda wasn’t easy due to moneyed political interests, but it would have been completely impossible if the (fabulously wealthy) locals didn’t have a problem with the soot particles from their filthy 165 MWs of diesel plants that, depending on wind conditions, deposited a toxic black film over their cars and lovely white verandas. Tourists weren’t bananas about that either, and tourist dollars tend to get what they want.
In any case, it can be done, and, in fact, it is being done.
Craig,
Good news ! The government of Bermuda has already committed converting electricity generation from diesel and fuel oil to LPG.
I hope you forgive me, but I find it odd for an advocate to be so caustic in denouncing the “fabulously wealthy locals ” for not adopting electric transportation, when you were at the time driving a diesel motor vehicle !
I can understand why your exhortations may have fallen on deaf ears ! “Do as I say, not as I do”, is always a bit of a hard sell !
The problems of installing Wind and Solar technology on small Island Nations is far more complex than people realize.
You do realize less than 50% of people in Costa Rica have electricity don’t you ? The half that are connected pay (although the pricing structure is complex) the highest rates in the world ! (Electricity in Portugal is also among the world’s most expensive).