CFE Wants to Suspend Projects that make SEN Vulnerable

The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) wants the independent Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) to suspend projects that could make the National Electric System (SEN) vulnerable. This comes two weeks after CFE found Acciona Energy partially responsible for the energy blackout in December of last year. Apparently, this one is a series of recommendations provided by a panel of experts which includes increased infrastructure investment.  

“It is my responsibility as Director General to take appropriate decisions against those who endanger the network. It will be discussed with the CFE Council,” Manuel Bartlett said. 

This is a countermeasure to avoid a repeat of the December 28 blackout that left some 40 million people without energy. Spanish firm Acciona Energy was partially faulted according to a CFE report published two weeks ago; in which they claimed that the failure was the result of a fire that started from an “irregular interconnection” at San Carlos Solar Park. According to the acting director, they have not ruled out legal action, especially if the they did comply with the indications of CENACE and installed lower quality technology to the grid despite having had an approved CRE permit.

Guillermo Narvaez, director of CFE Distribution, underlines that in step with the regulator, that they will demand compliance with the current Network Code (CRE), “avoiding at all costs, the interconnection of intermittent plants that in the future, do not comply.” Noé Peña Silva, director of CFE Transmission, says that there are 59 centrals in the National Transmission Network (RNT) for which the organizations seek review and compliance.

This measure is one out of a series of recommendations by a panel of experts which also pushed for fiber optic replacement in Mazatlán and Tepic, creating a training program for technical personnel and a program with which to review the capacity of Var’s static compensators. CFE also announced that they would be investing MX$25,000 million between 2023 and 2025 in three projects aimed to strengthen the dependability of the national transmission network from north to south. However, it is not clear whether these projects where part of the PROSDEN development program presented in May of this year.