SENER Launches SME Initiative to Cut Energy Use and Costs

The Ministry of Energy (SENER) aims to sign voluntary energy efficiency agreements with at least 200 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of a broader strategy to reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs and advance environmental goals. According to SENER, the initiative will expand participation in energy efficiency agreements beyond large industrial consumers.  

Under the agreements, participating companies are expected to establish internal systems for energy data collection, implement efficiency projects to reduce electricity demand during peak hours, and identify opportunities to optimize energy use across production processes. SENER said these commitments are aligned with the National Energy Efficiency Program, which seeks to lower the energy intensity of Mexico’s economy while strengthening industrial competitiveness.

The ministry emphasized that the voluntary accords do not replace mandatory regulatory obligations, but rather complement them by fostering collaboration and enabling the piloting of innovative approaches. Technical support will be provided through the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE), which has developed methodologies and tools to help companies assess performance and plan efficiency investments.

The objective is to incorporate more than 200 companies from the industrial, commercial and services sectors, including small and medium-sized businesses. Jorge Marcial Islas Samperio, SENER’s undersecretary for planning and energy transition, said the initiative builds on progress made since November, when CONUEE began extending voluntary agreements to smaller energy consumers.

The first phase of the current effort includes agreements with 12 companies, covering a total of 24 facilities. Islas Samperio said the approach reflects a shift in how economic development is measured. “For a long time, development was equated with how much we consumed. Today, we know that consuming more does not mean consuming better,” he said.

Over the past century, Mexico has signed 16 major energy efficiency agreements covering high-energy users. Those accords implemented 97 efficiency measures and generated cumulative savings of 261 gigawatt-hours, equivalent to approximately MX$760 million (US$42.22 million). Islas Samperio added that the new Planning and Energy Transition Law has strengthened the monitoring and enforcement of commitments undertaken by participating entities.

SENER’s announcement comes a month after Energy Minister Luz Elena González Escobar led a ceremony recognizing energy efficiency achievements across the federal public administration and state-owned enterprises. Awards were presented in three categories: fuel savings and efficiency in vehicle fleets; electricity savings and efficiency in buildings; and energy savings and efficiency through the use of alternative energy sources in industrial facilities.

More than 200 public institutions participated in the evaluation process, which covered over 2,000 buildings, nearly 1,800 vehicle fleets and all strategic industrial facilities owned by the Mexican state. Among the awardees, the Institute to Return Stolen Assets to the People (INDEP) received top recognition in the vehicle fleet savings category, achieving the highest score in CONUEE’s Energy Efficiency Evaluation.