The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Energy and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), announced the construction of the country’s first two solar thermal power plants in Baja California Sur, with an investment of 800 million dollars aimed at benefiting between 100,000 and 200,000 households. The project is part of the 2025–2030 National Electric System Strengthening and Expansion Plan.
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo emphasized that this infrastructure places Mexico at the forefront of renewable energy use. “The decision was made to build a solar thermal plant in Baja California Sur. There are few in the world, but they are very important because they put us at the forefront of renewable energies,” she said during the morning press conference “Las Mañaneras del Pueblo.”
Minister of Energy Luz Elena González explained that these plants will be built by the CFE to reinforce electricity supply in the state and contribute to energy sovereignty. With this, Mexico moves toward the goal of generating 35 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, while strengthening the energy transition.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Energy Transition Jorge Marcial Islas Samperio detailed that the plants will operate with central tower solar thermal technology, unprecedented in Mexico, which concentrates solar energy in thermal storage tanks to produce electricity even at night. This innovation will enable firm capacity generation without intermittency and replace the use of fossil fuels such as fuel oil, diesel, and gas.
For her part, CFE Director General Emilia Calleja Alor highlighted that solar thermal energy is the most efficient option for harnessing Mexico’s solar resource, in addition to meeting Baja California Sur’s growing electricity demand in tourism, urban, and industrial sectors. She specified that in their first stage, the two plants will produce 100 megawatts (MW) with 11 hours of continuous operation, and their construction is expected to take between 36 and 48 months.
