Mexico Wants to Export Energy to the US Southwest
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Mexico Wants to Export Energy to the US Southwest

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Anmol Motwani By Anmol Motwani | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Mon, 04/03/2023 - 09:40

Mexico plans to sell excess electricity generated by the 120MWH photovoltaic plant in the Sonoran seaside city of Puerto Peñasco to the US, particularly California and Arizona.

In February 2023, President López Obrador and other Mexican officials hailed Sonora Plan’s ability to produce up to 1,000MHW of clean energy, along with 192MHW in battery storage. “It will be the first of its kind in Mexico, the largest in all of America due to its generation capacity and the fifth worldwide when considering the storage system,” stated CFE.

With a 120MHW capacity, the photovoltaic plant is set to fuel the national grid by April and 300MHW are expected to be online next year, according to Rose Law Group Reporter. through this project, the current administration plans to reach the goal of producing at least 35% of all energy consumed from clean and renewable sources by 2024.

The US$1.6 billion federal project in Sonora is bound to have five massive photovoltaic solar parks and new transmission lines. It will also mine lithium. Through this project, the country is keen to export the excess energy produced to the US Southwest.

“Who could have told me that a state like Sonora, a net importer of energy that has historically been a net importer, now has the potential to be an energy-exporting state?" said Alfonso Durazo, Governor of Sonora, at a recent sustainable energy forum.

Mexico can come through because Baja California and California are connected by a binational power system. This network is part of the Western Interconnection, which stretches from western Canada to Baja California, Mexico.

Ricardo Bracho, Senior International Program Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), told The Hill that “if Mexico can connect Baja California to the national grid, he expects Baja California will end up with an “overcapacity” of electricity… [and that surplus] could be exported to the US.”

The domestic output is just the first step in an extensive $48 billion plan envisioned by Mexico’s leaders, who have their sights set not only on neighboring Baja California but potentially on California and Arizona.

Furthermore, Mexico’s president seems keen to deploy several similar installations in Sonora and discussed the scenario with John Kerry, the US Climate Envoy, during the latter’s visit to Mexico earlier this month. "Talks are advancing to replicate the Peñasco plant to other places in Sonora, a minimum of three more plants… We agreed to another meeting in two months," said López Obrador during a press conference. "They are going to look to help us in case it requires investment, and to ensure the interest rates will be as low as possible.”

Photo by:   David, https://pixabay.com/users/davidrockdesign-2595351/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1460659, Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/

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