It seems like an impossible feat, but several places all over the world have successfully stopped using fossil fuels for electricity.
Energy officials in Costa Rica reported that the country has generated 99 percent renewable energy throughout 2015, making it one of the few countries that have eschewed the use of fossil fuels in producing energy.
On Thursday, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said that the country has managed to power its grid on 100 percent renewable sources for 285 days and counting.
For other countries, how Costa Rica successfully steered away from fossil fuels and geared towards clean, renewable energy is aspirational, especially in connection to the fight against global warming.
Three quarters of the nation's electricity comes from hydroelectric powerplants, taking advantage of the heavy tropical rainfalls and abundant river system. The rest of its electricity is generated from wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass sources and solar energy.
The electricity agency said that despite a rough and dry year, the country is still ahead of its renewable energy goals.
"[W]e are closing 2015 with renewable electricity milestones that have put us in the global spotlight," said Luis Pacheco, ICE's electricity division chief.
Pacheco said that when a new $2.3-billion hydroelectric powerplant comes on line next year, the country's energy generation will even be better.
In March this year, Costa Rica made headlines when it managed to go on without burning a single fossil fuel for 75 days straight.
Aside from Costa Rica, other countries with significant hydroelectric capacity include Afghanistan, Lesotho and Albania.
Denmark, meanwhile, is the leader in wind power. The country generates electricity from its turbines for 40 percent of its population. On some strong windy days, the country has even generated as much as 140 percent of the energy it needs. Whenever possible, such excess energy is exported, but better storage would transform the excess into something more valuable.
Another country is catching up to Costa Rica's impressive renewable sources.
On Dec. 4, Tech Times reported that 95 percent of Uruguay's electricity now comes from renewable energy. The turnaround is impressive, especially because oil made up most of the country's import in 2000. The country still uses oil, accounting to 45 percent of the total energy mix.
