During a meeting with the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector , the presidential candidate of the National Liberation Party, Johnny Araya, proposed removing legal limits for private power generation using renewable sources such as solar power, wind power and biomass.

" ... The only considerations that the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad should have about incorporating the power generated by these plants into the system should be technical and economic, not legal."

Araya " ... said he supports the bill on Electric Contingency, but only in regards to raising the caps on private generation from 15% to 30% of the country's capacity and allowing greater sizes for these energy projects."

" ... he insisted that they should replace diesel and bunker fuel power plants with natural gas, which costs less, has a more stable price and is cleaner."

Source: Nacion.com

More on this topic

Costa Rica: Geothermal Energy in National Parks

December 2013

Prohibition of geothermal power generation in protected areas would be lifted by the two presidential candidates who are leading the polls.

Johnny Araya of the National Liberation Party (PLN by its initials in Spanish) and José María Villalta from the Broad Front (Frente Amplio) party, said they would allow the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) to explore geothermal energy in the Rincón de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste.

Costa Rica: Public Salaries Under the Spotlight

December 2013

Entrepreneurs and ALL presidential candidates agree on the need to eliminate privileges and unfair wage abuses in the public sector.

"On this point the five candidates that top the polls agreed during a debate organized by the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector (UCCAEP)," reported an article in Ameliarueda.com.

Presidential Candidate Proposes New Taxes

October 2013

Johnny Araya , candidate for the ruling party, has proposed a tax package aimed at improving collections and gas exploration to boost new energy sources.

Araya proposes the creation of the National Tax Administration Agency in order to combat tax evasion and improve tax collection. According to him , the fiscal deficit is affecting governance and competitiveness.

Costa Rica: The Presidential Candidate and Energy

September 2013

The leading Costa Rican presidential candidate would prefer state run companies to control the energy market.

Johnny Araya Monge, who was a former mayor of the capital San Jose for many years and is now presidential candidate for the ruling National Liberation Party (PLN), is the candidate with the highest number of voter intentions in recent polls.