Mexican regulator approves 3 new power generation permits, rejects 1

Mexican energy regulator CRE has denied a new generation permit for México Lindo Solar, a subsidiary of Energía Aljaval that owns the US$177mn Yermo solar park in Durango state.

During its latest session, the CRE also denied three requests to expand the scope of a self-supply permit to Compañía de Energía Mexicana and Iberdrola Energía Monterrey.

However, the watchdog approved three new generation permits, one requested by one of state utility CFE's generation subsidiaries, another by Tampico Renewable Energy and the other by Piasa Ingenio Plan de San Luis.

The regulator also approved several requested modifications to existing permits, including those filed by ESJ Renovables, Dolores Wind and Parque Amistad II.

In addition, it gave the green light to a new batch of 23 requests by various partners of several self-supply consortiums and cogeneration projects to have their load centers excluded from those permits. A majority of the permits are held by Spanish renewables giant Iberdrola.

There is a continuing trend for some private players to move away from self-supply as a viable model, given that the current government has said the scheme should be eliminated.

During the same session, CRE also rubber-stamped 48 gas station permits, in line with far more approvals in this segment this year.