With the growth of nearshoring , the transition to clean energy has ceased to be merely an environmental commitment and has become a competitive advantage for Mexican industrial parks . For companies seeking to integrate into global supply chains, renewable energy is now a requirement that influences investment attraction.

In an interview with T21, Juan Pablo López Greenham, CEO of Bioenergy Renewable Energies , explained that the progress of relocating production lines in Mexico is increasing the demand for energy infrastructure with lower carbon emissions , reliable supply and competitive costs.

“Companies coming to Mexico demand quality energy at a good price, and that it be clean. Today there is a traceability system that already measures how you manufacture, how you transport, and what the environmental impact is of the entire supply chain,” he explained.

The executive pointed out that one of the main challenges for the country is not only to increase electricity generation, but also to strengthen transmission lines to respond to industrial growth, especially in the corridor that runs from the Bajío region to the northern border, where a large part of the projects associated with nearshoring and logistics are concentrated.

According to the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP) , the 477 parks currently operating in the country require an installed capacity of 17,708 megawatts (MW) , while the 103 parks under construction will demand another 3,456 MW between 2026 and 2029.

The recent expansion of the distributed generation scheme, which allows self-consumption projects of up to 20 MW, opens up new opportunities for industrial parks to produce a greater proportion of their own electricity without being entirely dependent on the national grid.

López Greenham argued that this regulatory change will usher in a new era for industrial photovoltaic installations, particularly on the roofs of warehouses, parking lots, and hybrid systems that combine solar panels, battery storage, and natural gas generation.

Photovoltaic parking lot.

The Electricity Sector Law , published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in March 2025, raised the limit for distributed generation without the need for a permit from 500 to 700 kilowatts (kW) and introduced the interconnected self-consumption scheme for projects between 0.7 and 20 MW. The National Energy Commission (CNE) formalized the requirements for this latter scheme, which in practice multiplies the scale of the projects that companies can install within their plants.

This leap, the specialist indicated, comes with a technical requirement: larger capacity projects must incorporate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS ), equivalent to 30% of their installed capacity with three hours of backup power, to avoid intermittent outages on the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) grid . This same storage, he added, allows plants to reduce peak shaving —the spike in consumption that occurs when engines start—and adjust their billing by charging energy during off-peak hours and discharging it during peak hours.

As an example of what is already being done in the country, the executive detailed the installation that the company made for BorgWarner in El Salto, Jalisco, which consisted of a waterproof photovoltaic solar roof that replaced industrial sheets with modules that generate energy, allow the passage of natural light and have a useful life of several decades, which helps to reduce the operating costs of the companies.

The areas with the highest penetration of this type of energy are Santa Catarina, Guadalupe, Apodaca, Monterrey and Chihuahua, in addition to Querétaro, Aguascalientes and Guanajuato , where investment has been mainly in photovoltaic solar systems under the distributed generation scheme.

Regarding the energy already generated, he clarified that the electricity produced, for example, in a solar park in Sonora, does not physically travel to a plant in Guadalajara. It is fed into the national grid and consumed locally, while the CFE charges a wheeling fee for the use of its transmission infrastructure, regardless of the distance.

It is precisely the state of that network that López Greenham identifies as the main bottleneck preventing more industrial parks from integrating hybrid clean energy schemes .

According to the executive, the adoption of renewable energy in industrial parks is still in its early stages, despite the progress made in recent years. However, he believes that the adoption of renewables within industrial parks will grow over the next five years, provided two outstanding issues are resolved: more accessible financing schemes —such as leasing, loans, or PPAs (power purchase agreements, generally for renewable energy, between a producer and a buyer) without direct investment from companies—and more streamlined interconnection procedures with the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) and the CNE (National Energy Commission).

According to the Electricity Sector Development Plan (Pladese) 2025-2039, the country will add 19,954 MW in renewables and 5,000 MW in storage by 2030.

58% of that capacity will be solar, 22% wind, and the remaining 20% ​​will be batteries. This project sets a roadmap for enabling greater penetration of green energy in the country, aiming to consolidate Mexico as one of the markets with the largest volume of renewable capacity in active planning in Latin America.

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Sometimes big changes don’t happen at negotiating tables or in government offices, but in maneuvering yards. On April 11, 2024, Bali Express Services unveiled its first electric truck at its facilities in San Diego, California, and that same day made the first commercial crossing between Mexico and the United States with a 100% electric truck . The event marked a turning point.

Among the attendees was engineer Miguel Acevedo, a pioneer in the development of electric motors in Mexico. He was joined by professors from CETYS University , staff from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) , transporters, and specialists from entities such as the State of Mexico and Mexico City who found common ground: the urgent need to formalize a collective effort for electromobility.

This is how the idea was born and, later in May 2025, the Baja California Electromobility Council , an organization that was established before a notary to become the bridge between private initiative and public institutions, shared Juan Báez López , director of Bali Express and vice president of this council, to T21 .

“We didn’t want this to be a good intention, but rather a serious project, with structure and support,” Báez said.

Unlike other closed models, this council is presented as an open platform : companies, professionals, and even citizens can join, contribute ideas, technical knowledge, or direct investment.

“We are completely open to cooperation, because we know this transition cannot be done alone,” Báez explained.

The first major tangible step is already in operation: a zero-emissions green corridor connecting the Port of Long Beach with Tijuana. Through this route, Bali Express collects ocean containers with raw materials from Asia, crosses them to Mexico, supplies Tijuana’s maquiladoras, and returns finished products to the United States.

This achievement not only transformed cross-border logistics operations: it became the first success story for the Baja California Electromobility Council , as Juan Báez himself acknowledged. “With this, we demonstrate to the community that the council is serious,” he stated.

From that experience, the need arose to formalize the movement. “We need both the private and public sectors to see us as a valid institution. And the only way to achieve this is with concrete results,” he noted.

In terms of environmental impact , Bali Express reported an emissions reduction equivalent to planting 2.6 million trees in 2024. This year, the goal is to nearly triple that result: demonstrating an environmental impact similar to planting eight million trees.

This goal is not symbolic; it has technical weight behind it. According to the official document  Current status and needs for electromobility of freight transport in Baja California , prepared in July 2024, by the Secretariat of Economy and Innovation of Baja California in collaboration with the National Chamber of Freight Transport (Canacar) , a diesel cargo truck in Mexico emits on average 0.909 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) per kilometer (km) traveled , while a class 8 electric truck, consuming about 1.1 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per km , emits only 0.478 kg of CO₂ , considering the emission factor of the National Electric System (SEN).

The difference is almost 50% , and when multiplied by the daily journeys across the border, the environmental impact is considerable.

The official announcement of the Baja California Electromobility Council  will be made in the coming weeks with an event at the Bali Express facilities in Tijuana. Local authorities from both sides of the border, trade partners, and key players in the logistics and energy ecosystem are expected to participate. The launch will also include the unveiling of its website and a campaign to expand its membership base.

“The Baja California Electromobility Council is much more than an environmental project. It’s an example of how logistics can be a driver of transformation, binational cooperation, and sustainable development,” said Juan Báez.

Main image source: Bali Express Services.

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In a context in which the stability and capacity of the electrical grid have become critical factors for industrial development, the Government of Mexico recently presented the Plan for Strengthening and Expansion of the National Electrical System , which contemplates the addition of 29,074 megawatts to the installed capacity, with a total investment of 22,377 million dollars.

According to Jaime Román, Director of Finance at Quartux , this initiative responds to the need to solve problems that affect various sectors of the country , from blackouts in industrial centers to the saturation of substations in regions such as the Yucatan Peninsula.

Jaime Román highlighted in an interview that power grid failures have been observed in several industrial areas.

“Many industrialists are experiencing power outages or receiving energy of a lower quality than they were used to,” explained Román.

He also pointed out the limited transformation capacity of several substations of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) , which makes it difficult not only to increase the load for existing users, but also for new companies to enter the country .

These deficiencies put the daily operations of industries at risk and hinder economic growth.

In this regard, the director highlighted three major areas of this plan to this media: generation , transmission and distribution .

Each of these sections will receive substantial investments to ensure a more robust electrical grid capable of sustaining the accelerated growth expected in the country.

In terms of generation, 10 projects are planned to be inaugurated and a solar photovoltaic project in Puerto Peñasco is already in operation, and 16 new hydroelectric projects are planned to come into operation.

In addition, between 2025 and 2030, projects incorporating renewable technologies will be promoted , with seven wind energy projects and nine additional solar photovoltaic energy projects, many of which will be developed on sites for the conversion of plants that previously used coal or natural gas.

Regarding transmission , an essential aspect for connecting generation with end users, 80 projects in progress and 65 new projects have been identified.

“The investment in transmission is especially significant, because there is no point in having modern generation plants if the energy cannot be transported efficiently to where it is needed. Investment in transmission has increased considerably compared to the previous six-year term, recognizing the importance of this link in the electrical chain,” said Román.

Finally, distribution will focus on improving the conditions of substations and transformation equipment and ensuring that energy reaches industries, businesses and homes in a stable manner.

Jaime Román pointed out that one of the most important challenges identified is financing and securing the necessary resources and distributing them strategically.

Coordination between the federal government, states and municipalities will be crucial to identify the areas of greatest need and expedite the processing of permits, the director said.

He also pointed out that successful experiences in states such as Querétaro, where work has been done hand in hand with CFE to address investments in data centers , serve as an example of how collaboration can facilitate the process.

Furthermore, the outlook that Quartux envisions for the electricity sector points to a mixed generation matrix, in which renewable energies and combined cycle plants based on natural gas coexist, optimising efficiency and reliability.

The trend toward developing microgrids, in which users generate and consume their own energy with storage systems, also promises to transform the traditional distribution model, Jaime Román said.

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The Mexican auto transport sector faces a new challenge: the disappearance of the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) and the creation of the National Energy Commission (CNE), a measure that will bring with it significant changes in fuel regulation, directly affecting transporters with self-consumption stations, since the new regulations would force these actors to quickly adapt to stricter controls.

Marcial Díaz Ibarra, from QUA Energy and an energy sector specialist, explained to T21 that “the Hydrocarbons Law, which regulated the entire oil logistics chain, is going to disappear and now, with this commission, we must see how it will be regulated.”

The specialist estimates that there will be some regulatory improvements, “but they will not go against the way they were regulated, where activities will have to continue to be permitted.”

He commented that the activities will be reviewed by the CNE, as the CRE had been doing.

“We hope that it will now have greater growth and greater operational capacity to be able to review and implement the projects that are pending and those that already exist,” said Díaz.

Transporters at the crossroads, investment and rigorous supervision

The new fuel regulations impose key challenges for transporters with self-consumption stations. Those who consume more than 75 thousand liters will have to invest in certified volumetric controls, which will increase their operating costs.

“What we see is that they are regularizing a part of the supply chain that was in limbo because they did not have a permit, and now they are imposing a regularization whether they have a permit or not, just for the simple fact of having self-consumption,” explained Marcial.

Staff training and internal adjustments will also be required to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

This regulatory change is part of a package of reforms promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum , who signed a set of secondary laws focused on “strengthening” Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) .

“The public sense of CFE and Pemex as guarantors of energy supply and national sovereignty is being restored,” Sheinbaum said at a morning press conference on January 29, 2025.

Among the reforms, the Law of the National Energy Commission stands out , which will be responsible for regulating the entire production chain of hydrocarbons and petroleum products .

According to Energy Secretary Luz Elena González Escobar, these reforms “are the foundation that was missing to guarantee a strong, reliable, sustainable energy sector, but with national sovereignty and social justice at its core.”

The future of self-consumption and transportation in Mexico

Despite initial challenges, the implementation of the CNE could mean improvements in the regulation of the hydrocarbon sector.

“Every regulation always has a positive aspect. The issue of fuels in Mexico is a necessity,” explained Marcial.

He commented that despite the regulatory changes , the country will continue to depend on diesel and gasoline, so it will be key to observe the new collaboration schemes between the government and the private sector for the development of infrastructure.

According to Marcial Díaz, this is a recognition that the government cannot do it alone and needs the private sector.

“It would be very risky to talk about details right now, but let us assume that all this will not be detrimental to the regulated sector, but on the contrary, they will be able to take advantage of the experiences they have already had and fill the gaps that exist in order to seek regulatory improvement for the benefit of the sector,” concluded Díaz.

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The Global Sustainability organization and 18 strategic allies, including the National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Producers (ANPACT) and the National Association of Private Transportation (ANTP) , created the Alliance for Sustainable Mobility for All , with the purpose of promoting the electrification of public and private passenger and freight transportation in Mexico.

The reason for this initiative goes beyond the environmental; it is also, as Isabel Studer , president of Global Sustainability, said, a matter of social justice, since “while only 20% of the population can afford a private car, the majority today depends on insufficient and outdated public transport.”

“In Mexico, 70% of freight and public transport vehicles have an average age of 20 years, meaning that there are trucks and buses that can be up to 40 years old. Therefore, many small transporters, especially the so-called “truck-men” and small and medium-sized companies will be able to benefit from a renewal of their unit or their freight transport fleets if innovative financing schemes are designed,” the statement explained.

Studer added that examples such as the Metro Collective Transport System , the Trolleybus, the Cablebus, the Metrobus and other similar systems in different cities of the country show that we can and should move towards a new era of mobility that ensures the clean and accessible transport of people and goods for all.

Logistics and food production companies have also found that electromobility is a way to reduce costs , pollution and noise in various urban centers, through the use of medium-sized electric vehicles for the distribution of goods, known as “last mile” vehicles.

For her part, Shirley Wagner , Vice President of Global Sustainability, pointed out that other challenges to promote electromobility in Mexico, in addition to access to financing, have to do with clear and stable regulations that promote it and with the expansion of the charging infrastructure for these vehicles.

Rodolfo Osorio , coordinator of Electromobility at the Ministry of Economy , added that the best future for Mexico lies in electromobility, since in addition to ensuring the use of clean, renewable and non-polluting energy, it prevents the emission of greenhouse gases and global warming, and encourages greater social equity.

He stressed that the objectives of the Alliance for Sustainable Mobility for All are aligned with the vision of President Claudia Sheinbaum ‘s government to ensure that the energy needed for Mexico’s development, particularly that which comes from renewable sources, is accessible to all Mexicans.

The proposals of this initiative include the adoption of electric vehicles and shared mobility solutions , as well as the development of infrastructure to include charging stations in new residential and commercial projects.

It indicates that the transversal actors are telecommunications companies, as well as software and technology companies; banks and financial institutions, insurers and climate investment funds. In addition, it implies the participation of the energy sector, such as the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) , among other actors.

This Alliance involves specialists, universities and national and foreign research institutes, state governments, business representatives and various non-governmental organizations, including the Mexican Association of the Information Technology Industry (AMITI) , the Institute for Transportation and Policy Development (ITDP) , and the National Chamber of Electrical Manufacturers (Caname) .

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Following President Claudia Sheinbaum ‘s announcement of investments in Mexico by at least four companies for around 20 billion dollars (mdd) , the global firm that offers commercial data, CIAL Dun & Bradstreet , analyzed some of the current administration’s economic goals, among which it considered the relocation of production lines ( nearshoring ) as one of the growth factors, although it pointed to public debt as a risk.

He indicated that Sheinbaum Pardo committed to promoting nearshoring by taking advantage of the trade relationship with the United States and Canada, countries that make up the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) .

In this sense, Mexico is the one that should benefit the most from this phenomenon due to the advantages it has: a strategic location, logistics production chains developed with the United States and qualified labor, among others.

In addition, the country is expected to report a trade surplus of $256 billion in 2024, a figure that would be historic “that has marked a clear change of direction since the validity of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) ,” said CIAL Dun & Bradstreet.

In its analysis, Cial Insights: Economic and Financial Monitor, highlighted that during this period, Mexican exports to the United States grew by an average of 8.3% annually , while imports from the United States grew by 5.7% annually .

Currently, Mexico is already the main exporter to its northern neighbor, so the new administration must “tread carefully” to carry out the review of the T-MEC in good terms, which will be in 2026,” the firm stated.

Another point that the company considered was the stability of energy prices , which is why the current government has proposed that the costs of electricity, domestic gas, gasoline, diesel, and others not increase in real terms during this six-year term.

It also stated that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the electricity industry fell by 6% annually on average during the previous six-year period . “At this time, this industry is still 27% below its 2018 production level. It needs to grow at high rates to recover and get out of this crisis,” the report highlighted.

CIAL Dun & Bradstreet, in its Economic Monitor section , Decline in Industrial Production , indicated that this sector is facing a slowdown in the economy, which could lead to national GDP growing only 1.2% this year, as projected by several financial institutions.

In this context, he noted that in August industrial production fell by 0.3% annually , which was its worst figure since the beginning of 2021, “after the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“At the moment, the industrial sector is affected by the 4.1% annual decline in construction and the stagnation of manufacturing (only 0.7%). After growing 3.5% in 2023, the industrial sector would advance just 0.5% in 2024 and would remain stagnant in 2026 (0.4%). Bad numbers for this sector, which accounts for 30% of the national GDP,” he stressed.

Regarding the exchange rate, he recalled that on October 11, the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) closed the day at 19.40 pesos per dollar, which represented a depreciation of 0.97% that week.

Following the approval of the judicial reform, the exchange rate has remained stable , even with a slight appreciation, and the estimate of 19 pesos per dollar is expected to be maintained at the end of 2024, although pressures are expected due to the elections in the United States, the company said.

In the Special Report section, interpretation of public debt , he explained that it increased by almost 6.8 trillion pesos between 2018 and 2024, and noted that this year it will be equivalent to 50.1% of GDP. He indicated that a public debt that exceeds 50% of GDP in the following years makes it one of the most important risk factors for the Mexican economy , to which are added the pressures on public finances.

This analysis comes after the uncertainty generated among investors by the reform of the Judicial Branch , as well as the expectations due to the recent change of government in Mexico, now headed by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

It also occurs in a context of moderate investment, an economy that is slowing down, as well as a weakening of internal and external demand, which have led BBVA Research to make downward forecasts of the growth estimate for 2024, from 2.5% to 1.2 percent .

It should be noted that on September 18, the  Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the United States Federal Reserve cut the funding rate by 50 basis points (bp) , leaving the rate between 4.75 and 5.00 points , which could affect Mexico due to the close trade relationship it has with the United States.

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Specialized labor, energy efficiency, planning and infrastructure are part of the solutions required for electromobility in the country to increase the use of electric vehicles, industry experts agreed.

Edgar Moreno, co-founder of CeNeutral, emphasized the importance of charging infrastructure, since the great challenge in the future of mobility and the massification of electric transport is the increase in the transmission capacities of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) .

He added that there is also the challenge of electricity availability , as well as ensuring that companies installing chargers meet the highest standards of quality and safety for both the network and users.

“There are great opportunities for quality infrastructure in regulatory terms, that is, for authorities and regulators to begin to build a regulatory framework that guarantees this quality and that there are training standards so that Mexican technicians and electricians are at the forefront of these new requirements and demands,” he said at the panel  Energy Transition and Sustainable Mobility: Solutions from the electrical sector and charging infrastructure , at Latam Mobility & Net Zero Mexico 2024.

For his part, Lorenzo Ortego, general director of Voltway , commented that the energy demand requirements that Mexico will have in the coming years and that are reflected in the National Electric System Development Program (Prodesen) until 2038, not only come from electromobility, but the demand for nearshoring or data centers with large energy consumption are also very important variables.

“Based on these segments and based on official sources such as Prodesen, which tells us that by 2038 there will be six million electric vehicles in the country and that it will be approximately 3.6% of the national energy demand, we did the exercise of dividing it and approximately 90% will be cars for private and fleet use and the majority will be for residential charging, I mean that we have a very important area of ​​opportunity and that greatly affects being able to reach all areas of the country,” he explained.

Sebastián Luque, CEO of Enerlink, said that there are several technical challenges for the development of fast charging infrastructure, as well as regulatory issues, generating incentives and clear rules.

Isabel Miranda, head of marketing and sales at Enel X México , commented that the current priority is the supply of energy, infrastructure and electric chargers.

“Then comes the operation and monitoring, now visualizing electrical data gives us that watershed towards where we are going to do the 360 ​​analysis with those steps,” he said.

He explained that continuing to work with the public and private sectors will strengthen the network and there will be charging hubs .

Alonso Romero, Deputy Director of Commercial Strategy at CFE, said that the electrical infrastructure is the most important point , the expansion of transmission networks, transformers or medium voltage distribution networks.

“While we have to expand the grid, we must also remember that the issue of the electrical grid is not only affected by the increase in costs of the grid or the issue of electric vehicles, it ends up affecting the entire electrical system and that can cause us a problem of increased costs, if we do it in a disorderly manner,” he said.

They are already working with various local and state public transport institutions to plan the change and electrification, without the requirements being greater than the project.

He assured that the CFE has supported electromobility in the country since 2016 with the installation of the second meter for electric car users, as well as the Special Program for Electromobility where 100 electric charging stations were installed in the country.

“Now what is being planned and we see a great opportunity and seeing other experiences such as the Chinese one in the electrification of transport, we see that the Commission can promote the electrification of roads, that is why we have a road corridor strategy, there are about 10 thousand kilometers of roads between now and 2030, about 250 charging points divided into three phases and the issue of public transport,” he commented.

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