A recent report from the Internal Audit of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) highlights the risks of possible electricity rationing in Costa Rica, derived from adverse climatic factors and weaknesses in the management of strategic risks of the institution.
Main warnings of the report
The document, identified as official document 0020-269-2024, warns that the combination of an unexpected increase in energy demand and unfavorable weather conditions could compromise the electricity supply in the short and medium term.
According to the analysis:
Impact of the climate: Climate variations affect renewable generation plants, reducing the reliability and continuity of the supply.
Weak thermal capacity: Firm thermal generation has declined dramatically, from 22% in 2013 to 11% in 2023.
Poor climate risk management: The report highlights that ICE is not adequately addressing the risks associated with climate change in its strategic planning.
Reduction of thermal capacity: a critical challenge
The decrease in the share of thermal plants in the energy matrix of the National Electric System (SEN) is presented as one of the main concerns. While in 2013 thermal plants represented a significant proportion of the electricity supply, in the last decade their role has been minimized, leaving the system more dependent on renewable sources, sensitive to climate variability.
The Internal Audit highlights that this strategy could be inadequate in the face of the increase in energy demand. “The Electricity Management is not understanding or managing climate risk as it is done worldwide,” the document states.
Urgent recommendations and actions
The report suggests that ICE should implement immediate measures to strengthen strategic and operational planning. The main recommended actions include:
Increasing thermal generation capacity to meet growing demand in critical situations.
Improving climate risk management through advanced analysis tools and international methodologies.
Ensuring balanced diversification in the energy matrix, which allows for better coping with climate fluctuations.
