New setback of the CRE to Iberdrola

Alejandro Alegría Periódico La Jornada

Wednesday, November 23, 2022, p. 26The

Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) gave a new setback to Iberdrola, as it denied the modification of the permits granted to Dos Arbolitos and Parques Ecológicos de México (PEM), two self-supply wind power plants operated by the transnational firm in Oaxaca

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After at the end of September the energy regulatory body authorized some of the partners to disconnect from both plants, this Tuesday in ordinary session the governing body approved two resolutions that reject changes to the expansion plans of the permits, as well as the one related to the use of the generated electric energy.

The first of these, the Dos Arbolitos wind power plant, operates under permit E/1159/AUT/2014 and is located in La Ventosa, Juchitán de Zaragoza. It has a capacity to generate 70 megawatts by means of 35 wind turbines and its investment amounts to US$140 million, according to official data.

The second plant, PEM, operates under permit E/215/AUT/2002, has 105 wind turbines also located in La Ventosa and has a capacity of 102 megawatts. Its investment was US$203 million, according to the commission.

In recent months, the CRE has denied several private power plants to modify the fourth condition of the permit, with which the companies seek to add more partners.

Commissioner Luis Linares Zapata voted in favor of both resolutions, but commented that it is necessary to take into account the process for granting power generation permits for self-supply companies, which was exposed by the Superior Audit Office of the Federation in the review of the 2004 Public Account.

When the promoters of the projects become the majority partners of the power plants, the proportionality between rights and obligations with the consumers is broken, giving rise to a mercantile relationship of purchase and sale of electric energy, generating an imbalance between the partners of the self-supplying companies and their majority partners, she said.

Commissioner Guadalupe Escalante and Commissioner Luis Guillermo Pineda Bernal also voted in favor, but said they would make some comments that will be sent to the file.

The regulator's refusal comes days after Iberdrola announced that Mexico is not one of the main investment poles in its global plan for 2023-2025, so it has redirected its efforts to the United States, because that country offers legal certainty and regulatory security.

In addition, the Dulces Nombres power plant, located in Pesquería, Monterrey, was disconnected last January by the CRE, after its permit was not renewed. For the same plant, Iberdrola Energía Monterrey (IEM) received a fine of 9,145 million pesos, a process that is still in an amparo trial.

More gas stationsThe

CRE approved 43 permits for the sale of petroleum products to the public at service stations, thus making progress in unblocking the opening of more gas stations in the country

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Commissioner Norma Leticia Campos Aragón pointed out in her participation that there are still 700 applications to be attended and voted against 14 applications, as she commented that they did not comply with the required information or that some shareholders are related to illegal activities.

The governing body also delivered 19 draft resolutions denying permits for the commercialization of petroleum products.

The CRE also authorized 11 permits for the sale to the public of liquefied petroleum gas at refueling stations for motor vehicles, but Campos Aragón voted against, since the companies that benefited dominate a large part of the market for this energy source.