| Title | Legal Barriers to the Utilization of Geothermal Energy in Protected Areas of Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Authors | Moya, Paul; Rodriguez, Emilia M.; Mainieri, Alfredo |
| Year | 2006 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Utility & Power; geothermal energy in protected areas, legal barriers to geothermal energy, National Parks, Costa Rica |
| Abstract | The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) is in charge of the development and management of electric power generation in Costa Rica. ICE has developed the Miravalles geothermal project, which currently has an installed capacity of 163 MW, representing 15.4% of the total electrical energy produced in the country. Even though Costa Rica has considerable undeveloped geothermal resources (estimated at a minimum of 865 MW), most of this potential is located inside national parks. Current laws do not allow the exploration or exploitation of geothermal energy inside national parks, and thus the potential for future geothermal development of the country is very limited. A new bill, entitled “Regulation Law for Geothermal Energy Production in National Parks” (File No. 16,137), has been written and presented to the Costa Rican congress. Its main purpose is to authorize ICE to develop geothermal resources inside the national parks while maintaining their protection for future generations. There have been conversations with some of the new members of congress to acquaint them with this law, and they have shown their willingness to support it when it is discussed in the legislature. |