Mexico Grows as World Leader on Energy Reform and Renewables

Mexico’s liberalized energy markets present huge potential for wind and solar. But how do Mexico’s reforms fit into the wider energy picture?

By the end of 2018, Mexico's oil and gas industry will be completely open to private investment from domestic and foreign companies across the value chain — from oil exploration to gas stations. Since liberalizing its energy markets Mexico has become something of a model for countries that wish to encourage investment, innovation and competition across their energy sectors.

Policies Driving Renewable Energy Growth in Latin America

Buoyed by rapid technology cost reductions and the consolidation of renewable energy policies, Latin America hosts some of the world’s most dynamic renewable energy markets, according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Latin America finds that the region – endowed with some of the world’s best renewable resources – has an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the uptake of renewables across all sectors.

SolarCity Mexico Eyes a $1 Billion Investment Over the Next Five Years

The Mexico unit of SolarCity  the rooftop solar developer controlled by billionaire Elon Musk, aims to invest as much as $1 billion over the next five years, the company said on Tuesday.

SolarCity Mexico President David Arelle told Reuters in an interview the projected outlay will depend on Mexico keeping at current levels an incentive known as net-metering that requires utilities to buy surplus power generated by rooftop solar panels.

Mexico Completes Energy Reform with Passage of the Energy Transition Law

The law has established a program for Clean Energy Certificates and favors distributed generation. The goal of 35% clean energy by 2024 has been re-established, and businesses will have a 50% requirement by 2020. The bill is pending ratification in the Senate.

The law is the final program in Mexico's sweeping energy reform

Mexico’s Energy Reforms Miss a Key Sector: Renewables

On Dec. 20, Mexico will reach its cutoff for the approval of legislation related to President Enrique Pena Nieto’s sweeping energy reforms. Yet while the focus is on Mexico’s oil and gas sector, this deadline is likely to come and go without any serious debate on the future of renewable energy. With its abundance of wind, solar and geothermal resources, the renewables industry should thrive in Mexico. Indeed, many hoped Pena Nieto’s reforms would catalyze it. Instead, Mexico risks missing an opportunity to make good on its commitment to a clean energy future and to tackling and adapting to climate change.

Mexico Closer to Opening Energy Sector

Reforms aimed at dissolving government control.

Legislators in the Mexican government signed off on most of the rules meant to open an oil and gas market controlled by a state monopoly.

The government of President Enrique Peña Nieto has proposed changes to the way the oil and natural gas sector is governed. The measures, if passed in their entirety, open a Mexican energy sector controlled by state-run Petroleos Mexicanos, known also as Pemex, since the 1930s.

POWER Digest July 2014

Chile Banks on Renewable Capacity Expansion, Energy Efficiency. 

Chile in mid-May released a $650 million investment plan to reduce energy costs and promote non-hydro renewable energy development for the country that imports about 60% of its primary energy resources. The plan calls for a 30% cut in marginal power costs on Chile’s central grid, which serves 90% of the country’s citizens, by 2018. It also requires that 45% of power capacity installed between 2014 and 2025 be from solar, wind, and geothermal sources to put Chile closer to its target of producing 20% of its energy from renewables. The government also called for energy savings of up to 20,000 GWh per year. Experts have warned that Chile must triple its 18 GW capacity within 15 years to continue growing its economy (see “Chile’s Power Challenge: Reliable Energy Supplies” in the September 2012 issue). Chile’s power mix is dominated by hydropower, but droughts have left a country that has no indigenous oil or natural gas reserves energy-strapped. Beyond calling on the state oil company to boost exploration, the country also hopes to build a liquefied natural gas import terminal in the mineral-rich north.

Mexico signs Climate Change law

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has signed into law climate change legislation that will bind the country to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energies within the next few decades.

"With the legislation I signed, Mexico becomes the first developing country with a comprehensive law against climate change," Mr. Calderon posted on his Twitter account Tuesday.

Mexico leading the way for energy change

Mexico’s Climate and Energy Law

Canada and the US should take a closer look at their southern sister nation’s environmental protocols. Last week, Mexico’s senate approved a groundbreaking climate and energy law, becoming the second country in the world to approve strict guidelines for environmental sustainability. Initially passing Mexico’s lower house with a 128-for and 10-against vote, the Senate approved the bill with a unanimous 78-0 vote on April 19th. Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon, is set to finalize the bill in the near future.

Mexican Senate passes national climate law after passing the House: continuing to act at home

The Mexican Senate passed the national climate law that recently passed the Mexican House.  The bill now awaits the signature of President Felipe Calderón who is expected to sign the bill into law.  This law sends a strong signal that Mexico will continue to implement actions to reduce global warming pollution now and into the future.  It sets in place the foundation for even greater action by Mexico under future Administrations**.

The bill passed both the Mexican House and Senate with large majorities, showing the multi-party support for climate action in Mexico.  The Senate passed the bill 78-0 and the House passed it by a vote of 280-10 with one abstention.

Mexico's lower house passes climate change law

Mexico is one step closer to having a comprehensive law on climate change after its lower chamber passed the General Law on Climate Change late yesterday.

Mexico's house-passed General Law on Climate Change puts in place an important framework for emissions reductions from critical sectors and establishes key authorities and institutional structures. The bill now heads back to the Senate, which overwhelmingly passed an earlier version.

Complex regulations push wind developers to Mexico

Thanks to complex state regulations and lower costs, California could start getting its power from south of the border.