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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The concept of self-consumption groups , incorporated into the new Electricity Sector Law in Mexico following the reforms published at the end of 2025, opens a key window to guarantee access to renewable energy in industrial complexes, noted Ena Gutiérrez, Director of New Business at Enlight .

In an interview with T21, Gutiérrez explained that this model represents an evolution from the old isolated supply scheme , since it now allows several companies to share the energy generated by the same power plant, as long as they are located within the same area, such as industrial parks or complexes.

“The most important thing is that now they can be groups. That is, a single generating plant can supply several users without needing to inject energy into the grid,” he emphasized.

According to the specialist, this figure is designed to ensure the availability of particularly renewable energy in the industry, an increasingly decisive factor for the arrival of new investments to the country , especially from companies that have environmental commitments and require clean electricity to operate.

Gutiérrez highlighted that self-consumption groups are clearly defined within the new electricity regulations and in the general administrative provisions.

“It is a figure that did not exist before and that is now viable,” he noted, while considering this initiative as something positive , “especially for the industrial real estate development sector.”

He added that the initiative has been driven by associations and companies linked to the development of industrial parks and warehouses, as these are spaces where the model makes more technical and economic sense.

Industrial parks, the main beneficiaries

While the scheme can also be applied to large-scale tourist resorts, he stressed that industrial parks will be the main beneficiaries, as they concentrate multiple users in the same space.

“An independent hotel wouldn’t make sense within this framework, because it’s a single user. The model works when there are several consumers who share the generation,” he explained.

In terms of infrastructure, Gutiérrez indicated that these projects are viable as long as they are considered from the planning stage.  Industrial parks have a key advantage: large available rooftop spaces, ideal for installing photovoltaic systems.

“If electrical adaptations are considered from the design stage, technically and economically viable projects can be developed that generate direct benefits for companies,” he said.

In addition to access to renewable energy and savings compared to traditional grid consumption, self-consumption groups offer financial benefits through schemes such as Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

At a systemic level, Gutiérrez highlighted that this model also strengthens the resilience of the electrical system by diversifying generation sources and reducing dependence on centralized plants located at great distances.

A gradual transition, but underway.

Regarding the adoption of clean energy, he emphasized that it’s not about completely replacing conventional energy, but rather complementing it.  The speed of adoption, he said, depends largely on each company’s environmental objectives and its obligations to customers or ESG (environmental, social, and governance) commitments.

“Today it’s rare for a company not to have environmental and social issues on its radar. Those that already have clear objectives are progressing more quickly; others are just in the process of defining them,” he commented.

Looking ahead, Gutiérrez believes that self-consumption groups will be a catalyst for the growth of on-site renewable generation and for a greater share of clean energy in the national energy mix.

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APM Terminals Lázaro Cárdenas will become the first port terminal in Mexico to operate on 100% renewable electricity starting in the third quarter of 2026, after signing a power purchase agreement with Iberdrola México . The agreement will allow 95% of the energy consumed by the container terminal to come from certified renewable sources, while the remaining 5% will be generated by solar panels that will soon be operational, according to a company press release.

The announcement places the Lázaro Cárdenas terminal in a unique position within the Mexican port system, not only because of the clean energy source, but also because of the type of operation it supports. It is a highly electrified facility , where the automated yard and some of the large-scale equipment—such as the cranes—operate entirely on electricity.

“The signing of this electricity supply contract not only represents a very significant step forward in our decarbonization goals, but also makes us the first terminal in Mexico to operate with 100% renewable electricity ,” said Beatriz Yera, CEO of APM Terminals Mexico , emphasizing that this distinction carries even more weight precisely because of the electric nature of the operation.

The contract includes the acquisition of Guarantees of Origin (GOs) , a mechanism that allows for full traceability and certification that the electricity supplied comes from renewable sources linked to Iberdrola México’s plants. This technical component formally supports emissions reductions and provides verifiable evidence for the terminal’s environmental strategy, in an environment where ESG (environmental, social, and governance) commitments are increasingly being evaluated by customers, shipping lines, and global supply chains.

According to the information provided, the use of renewable electricity will prevent the annual emission of approximately 6,500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a figure that reflects the direct impact of the energy transition on a port operation with high energy intensity. Beyond the environmental benefit, the reduction in emissions translates into a competitive advantage in the face of the new standards being imposed by international markets and major shippers.

These actions are part of APM Terminals’ global strategy to lead the decarbonization of the terminal industry by accelerating electrification and the use of clean energy. In the case of Lázaro Cárdenas, the decision marks a milestone for the Mexican port sector and anticipates a fundamental shift in how investments in logistics infrastructure are conceived: not only as operational capacity, but also as platforms aligned with the energy transition and the sustainability of global trade.

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Betting on decarbonization not only improves processes and efficiency in logistics, it also allows for savings , although it faces challenges such as financing for the adoption of technologies that allow for the reduction of polluting emissions, indicated participating companies in the sector.

Manolo Reynaud, director of Sustainable Development and Public Policy at Walmart Mexico and Central America , commented that the company has the mission of being zero emissions by 2040 , for which it has carried out a series of actions such as incorporating technologies in new stores that reduce energy and water consumption, improve efficiency in logistics and in its processes.

“We have made a big bet on solar energy, after refrigerant gases and the use of electric energy, which is the second source of emissions, we could not reach our goal without renewable energies. We are supplied by a series of hydroelectric and wind farms that we have, but the bet is on solar energy,” he said during his participation in the panel The decarbonization of the Corporate and Industrial sector in Mexico, during Latam Mobility & Net Zero Mexico 2024.

Last year alone, they installed photovoltaic panels on more than 100 roofs, including their distribution centers , saving more than nine thousand tons of carbon dioxide.

Likewise, with regard to last mile transport, they are carrying out various actions, although “we are still in questions and doubts, but we have to continue evolving to go on a larger scale.”

Ricardo Nettel, director of QSE and Sustainability at Coca-Cola FEMSA , mentioned in this regard that they have been operating with electric vehicles since 2015, closing 2023 with 900 units between forklifts and trucks.

“When developing this type of business, we never prioritize the short or long term and we take stock, and it is this transition in which in the short term we begin to build with that industry and how we are going to evolve by making alliances,” he said.

He explained that one of his public goals is that all his operations, distribution centers and plants must use renewable energy by 2030 , and despite the challenges in 2023 they closed with 71% use of this type of sources, while in the third quarter it rose to 81 percent.

Gabriela de la Torre Ríos, head of Zero Emission Vehicles in LATAM at C40 Cities , said that the private initiative has well identified its decarbonization goals , “it has very well planned out where it wants to go and contribute.”

“These actions are an entry point to begin decarbonizing, but also to contribute to the fulfillment of these goals. The private sector in Latin America and mainly in Mexico has been helping and carrying out actions for the electrification of transportation, a very concrete action to do so throughout operations and the value chain,” he explained.

He considered that these actions of the private initiative have to do with innovation, with generating public-private alliances. Although he highlighted that one of the challenges is financing for the adoption of technologies that allow carrying out the transition and electrifying their operations.

Andres Friedman, CEO of Solfium , stated that using solar energy is the most profitable project for a company , since its return on investment occurs between two and three years later, including tax benefits.

“Those who do not seek these initiatives will be less efficient and competitive in the short and medium term,” he said.

For her part, María José Ramírez, CEO of SustentaBe, explained that decarbonization can be a challenge, but it must be seen as a long-term competitiveness and “green” profitability, since companies will not only mitigate risks but also improve efficiency in their processes, operations and costs.

“One of the biggest challenges is financing, the lack of infrastructure and access to appropriate technologies , and that is where the issue of collaboration and strategic alliances with clean energy providers comes in,” he said.

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