Mexico City - Mexico's Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is gearing up to introduce a new energy storage regulation, as announced by Commissioner Walter Julián Ángel Jiménez.
According to Commissioner Ángel Jiménez, the proposed regulation will be made available for industry consultation in late May, with a vote and potential approval scheduled for June 2024. Speaking to Bloomberg Línea, he explained that the regulation aims to address voltage and frequency issues, mandating that at least 30% of a power plant’s installed capacity be available for energy storage.
Currently, only the Sol Insurgentes and La Toba solar parks, owned by Engie and Invenergy respectively, have implemented energy storage solutions in Mexico. Regarding the Puerto Peñasco photovoltaic plant operated by the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), it will achieve 45% storage capacity. "I might be mistaken, but I believe that phase has not yet commenced, remember it's divided into three phases," added Ángel Jiménez.
The administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has frequently critiqued solar and wind energies for their intermittency issues, which pose challenges to the stability of conventional electrical systems.
In developing the storage regulation, the CRE took insights from Chile’s regulatory approach. "We revisited the Chilean case," stated the commissioner. Additionally, the CRE is set to vote and likely approve a new electromobility regulation on May 29, following the conclusion of a consultation period exceeding 60 days. This extended period was a result of requests from the U.S. Embassy and American companies, who raised concerns about trade barriers, though Ángel Jiménez clarified that such concerns are unfounded as all technologies are covered in the proposal.
Alongside the electromobility regulation, the CRE is also drafting a Mexican Official Standard for electromobility and plans to establish a working group to define electric charging tariffs. Companies operating electric chargers will need to regularize their operations, as Ángel Jiménez warned, "They must regularize, or we will have to shut down the installation." He also mentioned that most companies currently fail to comply with existing regulations that require notification of energy sales to end-users.
