Mexican opposition candidate vows to build 100 renewable projects

Mexican presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, representing the opposition coalition in the June 2 elections, has vowed to step up construction of wind and solar projects, in addition to bringing back auctions for purchasing power from the private sector. 

“We are going to return to the electrical auctions. We want to buy clean and cheap energy. Mexico truly was an international example of obtaining the cheapest and cleanest energy, which is why we are going to promote the construction of 100 new solar and wind parks,” she told the 30th congress of construction chamber CMIC in Mexico City.

Auctions were implemented in 2016, following reforms in 2013 that opened the energy market to the private sector. However, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's administration suspended them as part of his plan to support federal power utility CFE. 

In the auctions, private operators competed against CFE for cheaper and cleaner energy. Mexico even reached some of the lowest prices at international level, Gálvez said. 

Renewable energy, but also natural gas, are key to promote nearshoring, she said. 

“We will bring gas to the Mexican southeast to boost economic development in the region and reduce dependence on external energy sources. Without natural gas, there is no industrial development. So that is going to be an important commitment of my government,” she said.

Gálvez criticized recent comments by López Obrador, who said the energy transition would take 30 years. 

Gálvez also vowed to promote electric vehicle charging infrastructure and build hydroelectric plants. 

“We are going to promote the installation of 10,000 electric stations throughout the country to foster electric mobility. We are going to build two new hydroelectric plants in Mexico, one in Nayarit and the other in Chiapas, since they are two natural candidates because the projects have been in development since 2016 and were left standing there,” she said.