The new rules require future private investment contracts in the electricity sector to align with the federal regulatory framework, including the engineering and construction oversight phases outlined in the official document. The instrument aims to provide greater certainty regarding timelines and investor responsibilities, as well as greater visibility into the development of installed assets.
With this decree, the oversight of generation projects and the conditions for private investment are detailed within the Mexican regulatory framework, offering a clearer context for market participants. In this regard, a recent report by Ember indicates that private investment and energy storage could play a significant role in the coming years, with estimates of up to 36,000 MW of solar power and 30 GWh of battery storage.
The latest of the PV projects submitted for approval is a 90 MW solar plant planned for the municipality of Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, with interconnection to the Lagos Galera substation of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). The proposal includes 218,568 solar modules on 2,602 trackers in a 1P84 configuration. The design calls for 100 central inverters – four per transformer substation – across 25 substations delivering output at 34.5 kV. The generated energy will be routed through a low-voltage network to inverters that convert DC to AC at 645 V.
Another project is the 118.8 MW Tulancingo Solar Park, under development by Desarrollos Fotovoltaicos de México del Centro, expected to be located in the municipality of Singuilucan in the state of Hidalgo. GR Energía Renovables is developing a 30 MW solar facility in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico’s central highlands.
Moreover, Bluemex San Miguel submitted an environmental impact statement to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) for the 139 MW FV Santa Fe solar project, which includes 680 W bifacial modules, an energy storage system, an electrical substation and a 335,885-meter transmission line on a surface of 481,432 hectares with a planned occupation of 178,781 hectares in the municipality of Allende, Guanajuato.
Another project is the 788.7 MW Alegría Solar project linked to 177.69 MW/314.98 MWh of battery storage. Submitted to Semarnat by Sunstone Power 2, the plant is planned for the municipality of Campeche in the homonymous state. It includes 1,151,416 photovoltaic modules of 685 W each, 101 transformer centers and 202 inverters.
Yet, GCC Solar Samalayuca requested the environmental impact statement for the Samalayuca I Solar Park project, which includes site preparation, construction and operation of a self-consumption photovoltaic park with an alternating-current generation capacity of up to 22.2 MW and an estimated production of 59,229 GWh per year. The facility will be located in Juárez in the state of Chihuahua.
In October, Spanish energy company Iberdrola announced plans to move ahead with two solar projects totaling 535 MW in Mexico, marking a renewed commitment to the country’s energy market after years of divestment and regulatory tensions.
Through its local subsidiary Green Park Energy, the Spanish utility obtained land-use change approval for a 415 MW photovoltaic plant in Saltillo, Coahuila. The unit also filed an environmental impact statement for its 120 MW San Diego de la Unión photovoltaic project in Guanajuato.
Since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, her administration has sought a more pragmatic relationship with foreign investors. “There will be room for private investment, but with certain rules,” Sheinbaum recently said, emphasizing the need for technical and operational stability in the power sector.