AP Television
La Fortuna, Costa Rica - 5 May, 2014
1. Wide of Miravalles volcano in northern Costa Rica; grazing animals in foreground
2. Mid of volcano
3. Wide of geothermal cooling towers emitting vapour at Miravalles geothermal field
4. Mid of pipes and valves that control underground steam
5. Close of pipe emitting vapour
6. Mid of same pipe
7. Tracking of Eddy Sanchez Rivera, Geothermal Resources director at Costa Rica's Energy Institute (ICE) looking at steam pressure gauges
8. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Eddy Sanchez Rivera, Geothermal Resources director at Costa Rica's Energy Institute (ICE)
" ICE's (state-own energy company) policies have so far been geared for the exploitation of geothermal resources found outside protected areas. This (directional drilling) is an alternative (for that goal). We positioned ourselves at a park's boundaries, we drill directionally underground the park, and then we can use this important resource (steam) for our country without affecting the habitat, the reason why this is a park (protected area).
9. Tilt down of drill rig at production well
10. Mid of drill operators working
11. Close of operator looking at pipe locking
12. Close of operators pushing pipe into place
13. Mid of supervisors on rig floor; vapour pressure gauges in foreground
14. Close of pressure gauges
15. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Eddy Sanchez Rivera, Geothermal Resources director at Costa Rica's Energy Institute (ICE)
"The 'Pailas 2' project will perform directional (horizontal) drilling, which means that from one point we can move about up to a kilometre (0.62 miles) underground with several wells. This significantly lowers the amount of surface affected and building of pipelines."
16. Mid of drilling at production well
17. Close of same
AP Television
Tilaran, Costa Rica - 6 May, 2014
18. Wide of hydroelectric plant
19. Various of river outflow
20. Mid of operators inside plant's control room
21. Various of operator checking water flow and energy generation indicators
22. Tracking of Elbert Hidalgo (white shirt), ICE's Communications director, talking to operators
23. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Elbert Hidalgo, ICE's Communications director
"Countries may have different energy sources but those with geothermal energy have a blessing from God. Costa Rica is among those. However, we have legal restrictions. The greatest potential (of geothermal energy) is inside national parks. Let's remember that this country decided many decades ago to protect its natural sources, whether it's water, forests; nature. There have been debates (in Congress to drill inside parks) about this."
AP Television
Tronadora, Costa Rica - 6 May, 2014
24. Wide of wind power generators while car approaches
25. Various of wind power generators near Laguna del Arenal or Lake Arenal,
26. Various of Laguna Arenal, an artificial lake enlarged in the 70s as part of a hydroelectric project.
AP Television
San Jose, Costa Rica - 12 May, 2014
27. Set up of Roberto Dobles, former Costa Rican Minister for Energy and Environment
28. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Roberto Dobles, former Costa Rican Minister for Energy and Environment
" In Costa Rica we have at the moment an energy price crisis. Prices have spiked fast and dramatically. In fact, we have prices three times as much of many states in the U.S. We have to tackle that."
29. Wide exterior of the Costa Rican Presidential Palace
30. Mid of the Costa Rican national flag waving
31. Wide of Luis Solis, president of Costa Rica, talking to media
32. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Luis Solis, President of Costa Rica
"During the next five years, at least, we have that possibility. Make tunnels to reach the core of where this energy, steam, is located allowing us to compensate that law. Currently, I do not advocate on changing the law in national parks." ( In reference on changing the law to allow drilling in protected areas)
AP Television
La Fortuna, Costa Rica - 5 May, 2014
33. Various of vapour from cooling geothermal plants
34. Various of power lines connected to geothermal energy complex
AP Television
San Jose, Costa Rica - 13 May, 2014
35. Various of traffic and people in downtown San Jose
The northern town of La Fortuna, in Costa Rica, houses the Miravalles volcano and the main sprawling compound of geothermal plants up on its mountain slopes.
The undulating grasslands at the foot of the volcano, located in a protected area, provide a serene environment for tourists to walk alongside grazing animals.
In the face of energy price hikes, officials in this Central American nation of roughly 4.8 million people are divided on whether to drill in protected national parks and tap into what many see as unexplored possibilities: geothermal energy.
In the last 10 years, the Miravalles geothermal complex has dramatically expanded, now contributing up to 15 percent of power to Costa Rica's energy grid.
Workers here extract natural steam by drilling wells into the earth's core. The steam is then channelled through production pipes to power plants in the area for further processing.
After being used to power generators at the plant, the steam is directed to cooling towers that transform it back to water. It is then re-injected into the earth's interior through a network of injection fields.
But now, a new way of drilling introduced in the country will give the state-own company access to what they say are unexploited resources.
Eddy Sanchez Rivera, geothermal resources director at Costa Rica's Energy Institute (ICE), says " ICE's (state-own energy company) policies have so far been geared for the exploitation of geothermal resources found outside protected areas. This (directional drilling) is an alternative (for that goal). We positioned ourselves at a park's boundaries, we drill directionally underground the park, and then we can use this important resource (steam) for our country without affecting the habitat, the reason why this is a park (protected area).
One of the new projects named Pailas 2 is expected to provide 55 megawatts of power in 2019.
ICE is currently building the geothermal facility outside the Rincon de la Vieja national park, near the northern city of Liberia, where it is expected to drill for the first time horizontally and underground a protected area.
"The 'Pailas 2' project will perform directional drilling, which means that from one point we can move about up to a kilometre (0.62 miles) underground with several wells. This significantly lowers the amount of surface affected and building of pipelines," adds Sanchez Rivera.
There are many who question whether this is a good idea, since it could disturb animal habitats.
Since the Costa Rican Civil War in 1948, the country opted to develop its great water reserves and invest in hydroelectric power to generate sustainable energy.
Late President Jose Figueres led the country through the revolution and abolished the army. He then used those funds to increase social services, including the creation of Costa Rica's Energy Institute (ICE), which made it its mission to have electricity accessible to all.
Since then, constant black-outs have been a thing of the past, and today, 99 percent of homes in Costa Rica have electricity, one of the highest in the region, according to government figures.
Elbert Hidalgo, ICE's Communications director says: "Countries may have different energy sources but those with geothermal energy have a blessing from God. Costa Rica is among those. However, we have legal restrictions. The greatest potential (of geothermal energy) is inside national parks. Let's remember that this country decided many decades ago to protect its natural sources, whether it's water, forests; nature. There have been debates (in Congress to drill inside parks) about this."
But as the world struggles to find solutions to the effects of climate change, small countries like Costa Rica that depend on nature-generated electricity, have had to look at other ways to sustain energy demand.
To supply electricity during the dry seasons, ICE burns fossils fuels, such as diesel and coal, to keep hydroelectric plants running, a pattern that critics say contradicts the country's pursuits for sources of clean energy.
Currently, fossil fuels contribute more than 10 percent of Costa Rica's energy grid.
Former Minister of Energy and Environment Roberto Dobles says: "In Costa Rica we have at the moment an energy price crisis. Prices have spiked fast and dramatically. In fact, we have prices three times as much of many states in the U.S. We have to tackle that."
He adds that the average retail price of electricity per kilowatt in Costa Rica is around 20 cents to the dollar.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration, which compiles prices of all 50 states, shows that in the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana, the kilowatt is around 9 cents to the dollar, while in New York, one of the most expensive, is nearly 21 cents.
Costa Rica lies within the Ring of Fire, a geographic location named because of a series of volcanoes that marks the length of its territory.
While current law prohibits the exploitation of protected areas, the law doesn't not mention the underground areas of parks.
Costa Rica's newly elected President Luis Solis says underground drilling is the best option.
"During the next five years, at least, we have that possibility. Make tunnels to reach the core of where this energy, steam, is located allowing us to compensate that law. Currently, I do not advocate on changing the law in national parks," he says.
Critics say the more studies are needed to explore how geothermal activity under a national park could disturb wildlife and its ecosystems.
