Welcome to IEA Wind Member Country Activities for Mexico 2011

During 2011, 20 new wind turbines were commissioned in México, bringing the total wind generation capacity to 571 MW. The Law for Renewable Energy Use and Financing of Energy Transition (enacted in November 2008) is successfully achieving its main objectives. Wind energy is now a competitive option within the Mexican electricity market, and the Secretariat of Energy (Sener) issued a Special Program for the Use of Renewable Energy. A 2,000-MW, 400-kV, 300-km electrical transmission line for wind energy projects in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is under construction. Five 100-MW wind power plants are under construction and will be commissioned during 2012 under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) modality.

The Energy Regulatory Commission has granted permits for a total of 3,147 MW of wind power capacity. Currently, it is estimated that full implementation of technologically and economically feasible projects would lead to the construction of more than 12,000 MW of wind generation capacity. México’s largest wind energy resource is found in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca. Average annual wind speeds in this region range from 7 m/s to 10 m/s, measured at 30 meters above the ground. It is estimated that more than 6,000 MW of wind power could be commercially tapped there. Using reliable and efficient wind turbines in this region could lead to annual capacity factors over 40%. The Mexican states of Baja California, Chiapas, and Tamaulipas, are emerging as the next wind energy deployment regions in México.