Costa Rica has the most expensive electricity in Central America, according to the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 carried out by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, known as ECLAC.

The survey stated that Costa Rica has the highest rates for all types of consumption, residential, commercial and industrial in comparison to the rates charged in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador.

During 2016, according to ECLAC the average rate in Central America for a kilowatt hour (kWh) was of 13.48 cents while in Costa Rica the rate is of 18.47 cents.

This situation causes concern for the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency which considers this could cause companies interested in investing in the country to look for options in other countries in the region. The cost of electricity is one of the key factors that companies consider, especially since the use of technology in different sectors require a high consumption. The country is then forced to find other benefits to attract the investors.

Just a few days ago the Costa Rican government celebrated the consolidation of the country as a model of renewable energy generation, based in five clean sources: water, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal. The country is running 99.68% in renewable energy.

Jorge Sequeira, director of CINDE, considers that opening the electricity market could be beneficial by bringing the rates down and generating investment in the production of clean energy. This position is supported by the President of the Costa Rican Association of Energy Producers (Acope).