Mexico: Policymaking to Ensure Energy Justice in Renewables Development

Mexico has rapidly increased its solar and wind capacity to meet climate goals, but this expansion has faced significant social conflict. While the 2013-2014 Energy Reform introduced compulsory social impact assessments and consultation requirements to protect Indigenous rights, implementation gaps persist. Many communities report inadequate consultations and a lack of local benefit, leading to project delays and legal challenges, such as the 2020 Supreme Court ruling voiding permits for the Yucatán Solar Park.

• Mexico significantly increased its renewable energy output between 2015 and 2019, with solar PV and wind generation growing from 8.95 TWh to 24.2 TWh. By 2019, clean electricity—which includes nuclear, hydropower, solar PV, wind, biofuels, and waste—accounted for 20% of the nation's electricity generation.
• Large-scale renewable energy projects have triggered social conflict due to inadequate consultation processes and negative impacts on local ecosystems, livelihoods, and cultural heritage. As of 2017, 54 energy infrastructure projects were considered at risk because of these conflicts, and 66% of energy projects were reported as delayed due to social impacts.
• The 2013 and 2014 Energy Reform introduced a framework to mitigate social conflict, including compulsory social impact assessments (SIAs) reviewed by the Secretary of Energy (SENER) and unbiased consultation processes for Indigenous communities to obtain prior and informed consent per Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization.
• Despite new regulations, implementation gaps remain, including consultations occurring after projects are already financed and a lack of clarity regarding who is entitled to be consulted. This has led to legal defeats for developers, such as the May 2020 Mexican Supreme Court decision to void permits for the Yucatán Solar Park because the developer, JinkoSolar, violated the "right to prior consultation on projects that affect their livelihoods."
• Energy justice issues are highlighted by the disparity in benefit distribution, particularly in Oaxaca. While the region has high wind energy potential, in 2013 only 22% of the wind energy generated in Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec served the public power grid, with the rest going to private corporations including Coca-Cola, Heineken, Bimbo, Cemex, and Oxxo.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Mexico: Policymaking to Ensure Energy Justice in Renewables Development. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/mexico-policymaking-ensure-energy-justice-renewables-development

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Mexico: Policymaking to Ensure Energy Justice in Renewables Development. 2021. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/mexico-policymaking-ensure-energy-justice-renewables-development.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Mexico: Policymaking to Ensure Energy Justice in Renewables Development |date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/mexico-policymaking-ensure-energy-justice-renewables-development |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021mexico, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Mexico: Policymaking to Ensure Energy Justice in Renewables Development}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/mexico-policymaking-ensure-energy-justice-renewables-development}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }