CANCUN, Q. ROO.- Miguel Robles Pérez , director of the Institute of Renewable Energies (IER) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) , presented the Mexico energy and storage transition outlook , an analysis that reveals the urgency of accelerating the energy transition in Mexico in the face of the irreversible effects of climate change.

During his speech at Huawei ‘s Latin America C&I Greenovation Summit 2025 , he stressed that science, technology, and collaboration between academia, industry, and government will be key to building a more resilient, intelligent energy system prepared for electrification, storage, and the incorporation of new technologies such as smart grids, electric vehicles, and green hydrogen.

The specialist stressed that climate change is already showing irreversible effects and that the energy transition has ceased to be an option and has become a condition for mitigation and survival .

Robles recalled that the scientific evidence is conclusive: carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have grown rapidly in the last 50 to 100 years and their consequences are already being seen in extreme weather events, disappearances and human losses.

“We may or may not believe in climate change, but reality forces us to act,” he stated.

The academic presented an analysis from IER-UNAM showing that, although 166 countries have adopted measures towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , no region of the world will be able to meet them by 2030 if current trends continue.

“This should lead us to reflect on the urgency of accelerating the transition processes,” he said.

Robles explained that Mexico is experiencing two parallel energy dynamics: large power plants (thermal, hydroelectric, solar, wind, nuclear) that feed the national grid and distributed generation , which is growing steadily and functions as a support to the system.

In his presentation, he showed data that demonstrates an accelerated growth of small generators, even without a policy that actively promotes it.

“Regardless of what we want, the phenomenon occurs. And that is positive because it strengthens the system,” he noted.

Although they do not yet represent a risk of destabilization, Robles warned that there are at least 100 nodes where problems could arise if action is not taken in advance.

One of the disruptive elements transforming the sector is batteries , both stationary and mobile. Robles emphasized that their advancement completely changes the dynamics of the electrical system, enabling storage, flexibility, and greater resilience.

Electric vehicles reflect this trend, as their registration in Mexico is growing even faster than distributed generation, and their presence is widely diversified across the country. “They are true game changers , ” the researcher stated.

The energy landscape of the future already includes new technological layers ranging from telecommunications and data to artificial intelligence. Robles emphasized that these elements must be integrated into both large power plants and distributed generation.

Furthermore, he highlighted the emerging role of green hydrogen , especially in sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation, long-haul transport, and high-consumption industrial applications.

He also stressed that Mexico cannot be left out of the global energy transformation . Science, he said, offers clear data; now the challenge lies in transforming that knowledge into action.

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The energy transition has ceased to be a technical debate and has become an operational and economic imperative. Between global pressure to decarbonize, the need to strengthen national infrastructure, and the arrival of new investments resulting from nearshoring (relocation of production lines), Mexico faces a scenario in which regulatory clarity and technological innovation will determine its competitiveness

In that context, Aidana Velázquez , Institutional Relations Manager at Enlight , explained how the electricity sector is being reconfigured and what opportunities are opening up for the industry.

According to Velázquez, 2024 and 2025 have represented a turning point for the regulatory framework of the electricity sector. The Electricity Sector Law , published in March, and the regulations released in October , have more precisely outlined how private enterprise can participate in generation, self-consumption, and storage .

The central focus, he explained in an interview, is to establish clear rules to incentivize investment and make new infrastructure viable.

“The law already hinted at the forms of participation; the regulations help us see how it will be implemented in practice,” he noted.

Among the most relevant changes are the 46% limit for private participation in large-scale generation, the expansion of the distributed generation threshold from 0.5 megawatts (MW) to 0.7 MW , and the expected new self-consumption scheme for capacities between 0.7 and 20 MW, with simplified procedures, in addition to the formal recognition of energy storage within the electricity value chain.

This last point is key, since for the first time an activity that will be essential to integrate variable renewable energies and avoid interruptions in industrial operations is being incorporated into the regulations, Velázquez stressed.

Although Mexico is one of the countries with the highest solar irradiation in the world and has highly productive wind corridors, its progress in clean energy has lagged behind other nations in the region.

“We were on track to reach a goal of 35% clean capacity , but we are currently at around 24 percent . In contrast, countries like Chile already exceed 48% clean generation,” Velázquez explained

The official diagnosis agrees: the recently published Electricity Sector Development Program (Prodesen) shows a considerable delay and sets a goal of 38.5% for the coming years.

“The numbers tell us there is much to be done. The global trend is clear: energy matrices must become increasingly cleaner,” he stated.

One of the biggest current pressures on the electricity grid comes from nearshoring . With the arrival of new industrial parks and manufacturing centers, energy availability has become a decisive factor for companies to locate there.

“Mexico was being left out of the game due to a lack of energy availability in certain areas,” Velázquez explained.

To address this, the regulation incorporates mechanisms that make it easier for companies to generate their own energy on-site through self-consumption or distributed generation schemes.

This prevents energy shortages from delaying the installation of new plants, provides operational certainty to energy-intensive industries such as automotive or electronics, reduces long-term energy costs, and contributes to meeting ESG (Environmental,  Social  , and  Governance  ) commitments .

The manager highlighted that industrial consumption represents 50% of the energy in Mexico , which underscores the importance of enabling decentralized solutions for this growing demand.

Velázquez emphasized the need to understand that industrial operations cannot depend solely on variable renewable sources such as the sun or wind.

Therefore, the new schemes combine solar or wind power generation , backup with gas or other conventional sources, and energy storage systems to ensure continuity, quality and energy arbitrage.

The regulation foresees new rules for storage no later than June 2026, which will boost its adoption.

Mexico has the natural resources and now a more defined regulatory framework ; the challenge is to accelerate the adoption of solutions that allow energy to stop being a hindrance and become an enabler of growth.

“Demand continues to increase. The great opportunity is to leverage nearshoring to make this expansion sustainable and based on clean energy,” he emphasized.

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In a context where pressure to decarbonize industrial operations is increasing, distributed generation is emerging as a strategic solution for industrial parks and manufacturing centers in Mexico.

This is key for the Mexican industry, where nearshoring (relocation of production lines) is driving new manufacturing facilities, explained Manuel Ahumada, managing partner of Enlight , a company specializing in microgrids and energy storage.

“Distributed generation is generating energy right where it’s consumed,” Ahumada explained.

He added that, unlike large solar or wind farms connected to the national grid, this model takes advantage of vacant spaces such as industrial warehouse roofs to install solar photovoltaic systems that directly power the plants’ operations.

One of the key differentiators of Enlight’s model is that companies don’t need to invest in infrastructure.

“We make the investment, and the customer only pays for the energy generated,” Ahumada said.

This has been key to facilitating the adoption of clean energy solutions, especially among companies with high energy demands, such as those in the automotive, food, and logistics sectors.

In addition to solar panels, Enlight has integrated lithium-ion battery storage , enabling the formation of smart microgrids .

These systems not only generate energy during the day, but also store electricity during lower-cost times for use during peak periods, thus generating greater savings.

“A microgrid can represent up to 90% energy cost savings for our customers,” Ahumada said.

Furthermore, it allows operations to continue even in the event of power outages, which has become increasingly important given the recent disruptions to the national power grid.

According to the executive, the arrival of the new government has brought encouraging signs for the sector.

Currently, the limit for distributed generation is 500 kilowatts peak (kWp) per site, but the new administration’s energy plan contemplates raising this to 700 kWp and even enabling self-consumption schemes for projects of up to 20 megawatts, under an express modality.

“We’ve been experiencing a stagnant regulatory environment for six years. Today, we’re seeing clear signs of momentum, which is very motivating for us,” he said.

The sector’s growth has been steady: interconnection requests have increased by 25 to 30% annually, and in Enlight’s case, its own projects have grown by more than 40% year-over-year.

This boom is fueled by trends such as nearshoring , which has brought new factories to Mexico with high energy demands and a growing interest in sustainable solutions.

“Any company with a demand greater than one megawatt is a candidate,” Ahumada said.

This ranges from hotel groups to distribution centers, industrial parks, and manufacturing plants, even in vertical installations with limited roof space, the combination of panels and batteries makes the model viable.

Ahumada emphasized that the benefits are not only economic .

“We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of liters of water saved and a significant reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,” he stressed.

Additionally, companies can access clean energy certificates (IRECs), allowing them to strengthen their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategies and, in some cases, monetize these benefits in voluntary carbon markets.

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