Costa Rica News – Weaknesses in the National Electricity Distribution System were found recently by the Comptroller General of the Republic. These can increase the prices we pay, since the losses are uncontrolled.
There are some areas in which there is excess capacity, about seven times what is needed during peak demand, while in other parts there are transformers operating with below demand capacity. This would jeopardize the supply of energy.
Some of these transformers that are being fully paid for but under utilized are in rural areas, where a transformer is placed just for one family or estate that consumes just 10% of its capacity. Although this increases costs to all Costa Ricans, it is a social service. One family cannot be without power just because it’s more expensive to get it to them.
Some of the issues that are involved in this problem are that there are no records of how old each transformer is, the various energy companies have very varied costs for preventative work, and the distributors don’t measure where the power is lost.
An audit now requires that they reverse these situations to protect the environment and energy.
Who would have thought a Costa Rican government operated entity would be inefficient? (Sarcasm). Strange since Costa Rica is claiming an energy crisis and cannot even efficiently distribute on its current energy grid.
