Do utility companies have best practices? Are Latin American utlity companies simply reflections of the best practices of large North American conglomerates or are they just large North American conglomerates? In Costa Rica we have ICE, our public utility company. In 2000, the government wanted to open up to foreign competition, but the people had large and violent (only for Costa Rica) huelgas y marchas to protest the Combo de Ice.

We had a large gas fire the other day at a gas plant. It was one of 6 in Costa Rica. This may affect the supply of gas within the country. It took quite a bit of water to put out that fire. We are in a drought which has affected out electrical supply on account of the hydroelectric systems. But we had to use extra water to put out the fire. So now we have a water, gas and electricity shortage. Everyday the electricity goes out for some prescribed time. However, it is sometimes according to plan and sometimes not. Ahhh...the pleasures of third world living. And they say that there are more North Americans here per capita then any other country outside North America. Must have been all those fancy tourism brochures, because it sure isn't that safe down here.