Renovables x Mexico to Promote Clean Energy

The Mexican Wind Energy Association (AMDEE) and the Mexican Solar Energy Association (ASOLMEX) presented the Renovables x México platform, which aims to promote and publicize the benefits of renewable energy projects across the country.

These include economic growth in communities, employment generation, cheaper electricity rates, greater connectivity and electricity in marginalized communities and maintenance of a healthy environment for all the habitants, according to the new platform.

During a virtual presentation, Leopoldo Rodríguez, President of AMDEE, said Mexico has regions where the wind and sun allow for better energy generation, which is more economical and efficient. He mentioned that currently, young people seek to consume electricity that comes from sustainable means, which also benefits them, reported Milenio.

Isabel Studer, Director of the University of California-Mexico Alliance, said the implementation of renewable energies in Mexico would help in the fight against global warming. She said Renovables x México will raise awareness about the competitiveness of the industry in Mexico, which is lowering energy costs and improving the health of its citizens, reported Agencia EFE.

Studer mentioned that currently, 75 percent of the Mexicans live in cities and most of them have health problems due to the high levels of pollution. She assured that each year, 50,000 Mexicans die due to air pollution, reported Forbes.

According to a recent analysis published by BloombergNEF, most places in this world can count on wind and solar energy as the cheapest source of energy generation. The report states that in five years, a new turning point will be reached where it becomes more expensive to operate an existing power plant based on coal or natural gas than to build a new solar or wind plant, reported MBN.

Hector Olea, President of ASOLMEX, said to Forbes that Renovables x México seeks to take into account opinions to share knowledge and decide which practices are the best to promote clean technologies that will preserve the environment and resources for future generations.

The platform was launched after the Mexican government presented initiatives against the generation of electricity and clean energy by private companies. Recently, the government cancelled the fourth electricity auction agreed during Peña Nieto’s presidency.

Rocío Nahle, Minister of Energy, said renewable energies have deficiencies due to their intermittence and because of this, CENACE and SENER have promoted the reliability policy that aims to limit private renewable electricity production and to prohibit the testing of clean energy power plants, reported MBN.

Riccardo Bracho, Finance specialist and Senior Manager at National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said there are many myths that aim to misinform how renewable energies work. He said that people think that the energy depends on factors such as climate and the time of day. However, these do not cause intermittency because nowadays there are forecasts and technologies that explain and prevent these variabilities, reported PV Magazine.

Bracho mentioned that Mexico needs to recover the confidence of investors and companies by resuming the energy auctions.

Studer said to Forbes that Mexico is not respecting its legislation and as a result, civil associations like Greenpeace and CEMDA have filed legal action against the government. She mentioned that US$6.5 billion in investment and 30,000 jobs have been put at risk in Mexico due to these initiatives.