Nicaragua ‘s Path to Energy Independence via Renewable Power

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Nicaragua 2009 WindmillIt is really quite amazing, the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere will be 94% energy self-reliant by 2016.

Tim Rogers in the Nicaragua Dispatch details Nicaragua’s dramatic reduction from 80% foreign oil dependence in 2006 to a much more stable and sustainable future.

Nicaragua, land of volcanoes, is quite a beautiful place. From the uncrowded pristine beaches; to the tropical enchantment of Isla Ometepe and the Archipelago Solentiname, within the beautiful waters of Lago Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua); to the wilds of Río San Juan; to the vibrant history of the colonial cities of Granada and León, this land is truly a paradise.

The country has certainly had its share of problems, least of which was the Revolutionary and Contra Wars of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which devastated the country.

Today, Nicaragua is on the map. Tourism is a big draw as neighboring Costa Rica reaches saturation and tourists are looking for someplace ‘less touristy’.

Just north of the Costa Rica frontier, on the southwestern shores of Lago Cocibolca, wind turbines rise along the Pan-American Highway. These turbines are just the beginning of something that is nothing short of extraordinary.

Photo by Robert Blackie, Flickr Creative Commons

 

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Avatar of Michael Ray About Michael Ray

Michael Ray

Michael has over 17  years of experience in the field of transportation planning, project management and community relations. While working as a Senior Planner and Project Manager at The Oregon Department of Transportation, he successfully implemented the state’s transportation policies covering everything from development review, corridor planning and interchange area management planning.  As part of his corridor planning responsibilities, he successfully worked with the City and County of Hood River to develop a plan for a new interchange serving the urban area of Hood River and connecting I-84 to OR 35, the State of Washington and the Mt. Hood Recreational area.

Michael’s experience lends itself well to transportation planning and how to best integrate transportation with land use by drawing upon the entire planning process; from project conception through consultant selection and approval by the Oregon Transportation Commission. He successfully directed the development and adoption of five Interchange Area Management Plans representing interchanges that serve different purposes in the metropolitan Portland area.

More recently, Michael served as the state representative on the development of a highly controversial resort and casino project planned in the heart of the magnificent Columbia River Gorge. He worked with the casino developers, Gorge Commission staff, City and County representatives and the public to ensure that the development would meet the aesthetics of the Gorge and that the developers ensured that traffic generated by the facility could be accommodated on the transportation network including local streets and I-84. The development would require a new interchange with the interstate.

Michael is an an active board member of Mundo Exchange a community development organization and service provider working primarily in Thailand, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Currently, Michael is enrolled in the Architecture program at Portland State University pursuing a Masters Degree in Architecture. His interests in architecture include developing small-scale, sustainable green architecture. He also has an interest in historical architecture and how to incorporate modern green technology into older structures without losing their inherent character.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, an Associate degree in Urban Studies and a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University.

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