BETTING BIG
TBY talks to Omar Miranda Murillo, General Manager of Coopelesca, on diversifying into energy generation, becoming more sustainable, and upcoming investment projects.

BIOGRAPHY
Omar Miranda Murillo is currently General Manager of Coopelesca. He previously served as Manager of the Union of Cooperatives of the North and Regional Deputy Director of the Institute of Agrarian Development. He holds a master of business administration and marketing degrees from the Technological Institute of Costa Rica, with preparation in higher management and leadership at INCAE.How has Coopelesca evolved over time, becoming one of the most important companies in the San Carlos region?
Coopelesca is a cooperative that was founded in 1965 with the objective of providing energy to the northern area of Costa Rica, approximately 10% of the country. In 2017, we entered the business of telecommunications with the main objective of providing internet connection and improving connectivity in this area. To date we have increased the internet penetration rate from 3% to 53%. Within this project, we also provide cable television services; almost 55,000 of our 85,000 members use those services. As a part of this change, we decided to venture in the retail market with our appliance stores in the area of San Carlos, Sarapiquí, and Pocosol with competitive prices in the market and financing with low prices. We have also ventured into the insurance business in partnership with Insurance National Institute; we commercialize the most important insurance for our community. Our business core is energy; we not only distribute, but also generate our own energy through hydroelectric plants, representing 73% of our total energy consumption. We also have a wide project portfolio. Currently we are developing a photovoltaic project of 5MW in Buenos Aires de Pocosol in partnership with Conelectricas, the first solar project in the area. The goal is for it to be operational by 2018.
Why did Coopelesca decide to diversify its services?
The mission of a cooperative is to satisfy the needs of its members, which is why we supply electric energy. Additionally, we decided to provide telecommunications services because a large part of the infrastructure we have can be used for these services, and given our knowledge of the distribution of energy, it made sense to incorporate cable and the internet as well. Families require not only housing, water, electricity, and infrastructure, but connectivity as well. Connectivity is key for the development of any society in order to reach the living standards of the modern world. Furthermore, with the diversification of our services we generate other sources of revenue that translate into greater benefits to the owners of this cooperative who are all of our associates.
Do you see changes in the way of producing energy in Costa Rica moving to more sustainable methods?
It has to be clear that producing clean energy is not always the cheapest way, and at the moment there is strong debate in the country since nearly the 98% of the national output of energy is produced by renewable sources. However, pricing is a key issue because the government believes our prices are high and cannot compete with other countries, such as Mexico or the US, who use polluting energy sources but are ultimately competitive in price. For that reason, we need to take advantage of all possible sources that we have here in Costa Rica, such as natural gas, biogas, and distributed generation, and we need to make it work for the planet and for our country by improving the laws and the regulation.
What are the challenges, goals, and new investments of Coopelesca for 2018?
First, we have the photovoltaic project taking place in Buenos Aires de Pocosol, which is a large and ambitious development. Also, we plan to use geothermic energy of low enthalpy and wind energy, which can be developed in this region easily. In terms of telecommunications, our bet is on the bandwidth of the internet. Another great bet is a total redesign of the services in order to achieve four things: efficiency, excellent service to all members, greater income from our own sources, and strengthening the insurance business unit. San Carlos is a region with great potential to grow and attract foreign investment because we have many opportunities that can be set here. Finally, looking for a member participation in the consumption, the smart grid project will be an important goal.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Yamileth Astorga, President, Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA)
TBY talks to Yamileth Astorga, President of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), on the challenges of providing high-quality potable water and working to prevent a water deficit.
read articleInterview
Luis Carlos Delgado Murillo, President, National Supervisory Council for the Financial System (CONASSIF)
TBY talks to Luis Carlos Delgado Murillo, President of the National Supervisory Council for the Financial System (CONASSIF), on the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors and facilitating new business.
read articleInterview
Minor Rodríguez, General Manager, Coopesa
TBY talks to Minor Rodríguez, General Manager of Coopesa, on being the only self-managing cooperative in the world dedicated to heavy aircraft, the importance of communication, and maintaining a flat and democratic governance structure.
read articleReview
Reaching the Sky
The construction sector in Costa Rica has recovered significantly from a slump in 2016. However, the country has much to accomplish, especially in terms of ensuring new residential projects are inclusive for all income levels and fixing the infrastructure problem.
read articleInterview
Dr. Fernando Llorca Castro, Executive President, Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social
TBY talks to Dr. Fernando Llorca Castro, Executive President of Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social, on the importance of institutional longevity, joining the OECD, and bringing standardized services to every part of the country.
read articleFocus: Education Training
Get the Ball Rolling
One of the main factors that attracts investors to Costa Rica has been its skilled human capital. For this purpose, the government and academia are collaborating to improve programs and better align them to the requirements of several industries.
read articleReview: Education
Class Is In Session
High levels of public investment have made Costa Rica's education system one of the strongest in Latin America, and government leaders are working to improve teacher quality and ensure that the poorest Costa Ricans have access to quality secondary and tertiary schools.
read articleInterview
Marco Robert, General Manager, IMC Interamericana Medios de Comunicación
TBY talks to Marco Robert, General Manager of IMC Interamericana Medios de Comunicación, on the importance of articulating a clear philosophy, the industry's biggest weaknesses, and the ideal advertising setup.
read article