During the event held in May, José Antonio Aguilar Bueno, the Deputy General Director of Investment Bank, Nacional Financiera (NAFIN), called for Mexico to develop its own wind energy industry to truly harness its potential in this area.
Aguilar said during Mexico Wind Power that the country must continue the dynamic growth in wind energy achieved in the region of Oaxaca. To exploit its wind power potential, Mexico should promote its own industry and not only support projects, and send clear signals to the market to conduct research and innovation in this regard, he stressed.
During his intervention, Aguilar recognised the work of the Electric Research Institute (IIE), but recommended starting to involve the private sector in research so that, combined, the country can develop its own products eligible for export.
In the session “Financing the next generation of wind development in Mexico”, a plan of financing mechanisms was proposed to tap Mexico’s wind energy potential, and development banks were urged to take more risk to finance projects.
New open season announced
Meanwhile, it is reported that Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) will release a proposal for the launch of two new open seasons for wind energy transmission infrastructure by year end, to be budgeted by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) in 2012.
This means that companies interested in this type of generation will be committed to pay for fixed-term infrastructure that will power 1,400 kilometres from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and from Northern Tamaulipas.
After participating in Wind Power Mexico, the General Director of Electricity and Renewable Energy of the CRE, Alejandro Peraza, explained that the project is designed for the transmission of 4,000 MW and 1,000 MW of wind power in Oaxaca and Tamaulipas, respectively.
This is twice that installed in the first and only wind power open season held in Mexico, in Oaxaca, which ran for six years and involved 12 companies that now are using wind power for self-consumption or retransmission through the scheme for independent producers.
"This new project is very ambitious, but we're betting that with the experience that we have everything will be faster, easier and with lower costs," said Peraza.
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