Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Wind Country Notes

Mexico
The present resource estimate is of the order of 5 000 MW with the main area of interest being the Isthmus of Tehuantepec where 2 000 MW or more could be installed with a utilisation of about 40%. Other areas of potential are located in the States of Yucatan, Zacatecas, Baja California Sur, and Tamaulipas.

It has been estimated that Mexican electricity consumption will grow at 5.2% per annum between 2005 and 2014. To satisfy this demand some 22 GW of additional generating capacity will be required. There is thus an opportunity for the country's wind resource to contribute a portion of this new capacity in the coming years.

The national electric utility CFE has plans for 404 MW of new wind capacity for installation during the next 10 years, in groups of 101 MW. There are also private projects of more than 400 MW which have already received a permit from the Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission. With funds from GEF, administered through the UNDP, a large project is being carried out through the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas to assess the wind potential in certain areas of Mexico and to build a Regional Wind Technology Centre. Wind-based water pumping is widely used, mainly in the north of the country.

By end-2006, the second phase of La Venta wind plant was operational. The 83 MW (98 x 850 kW) La Venta II brought Mexican installed capacity to 85 MW.