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Electricity in Mexico in 2023

Global Ranking: #91
18.2% #131 Low-carbon electricity
365.58 watts #98 Generation / person
450.62 gCO2eq/kWh #114 Carbon Intensity

As of 2023, Mexico's electricity consumption paints a clear picture on the current growth trends of various energy sources. Fossil fuels primarily consisting of gas, oil, and coal contributed a significant portion of the country’s electricity supply, with well over 620 terawatt hours (TWh) in total. In contrast, low-carbon energy sources including wind, hydro, solar, nuclear, geothermal, and biofuels collectively accounted for a little under 75 TWh in the same period. The country's dependency on fossil fuels significantly outweighs their use of clean energy, representing more than half of its total electricity generation. When compared to the global average of 410 watts per person, Mexico appears to be generating significantly higher amounts of electricity, which could possibly exacerbate issues related to climate change and air pollution due to the country's heavy reliance on fossil sources.

Suggestions

Given the current state, Mexico can draw relevant insights from other nations to increase its low-carbon electricity generation. Notably, countries such as the United States and China have successfully harnessed wind and nuclear energy, with both types exceeding 400 TWh in electricity generation. Similarly, Spain and Brazil have significant generation through wind energy, producing over 60 TWh and 95 TWh respectively, which is an aspect that Mexico could strive to improve upon. Solar energy also offers promising potential, with countries such as China, United States, India, and Australia generating substantial amounts of electricity from this source. Mexico can accelerate its transition to an environmentally-friendly energy mix by emphasizing the expansion of nuclear, wind, and solar capacities, and learning from the successful strategies implemented by these countries.

History

The history of low-carbon electricity in Mexico has predominantly revolved around hydroelectric power, albeit with fluctuating trends. The 1980s marked the dawn of hydro power expansion in Mexico, with a small but significant increase of approximately 7.7 TWh in 1981. However, the subsequent decade demonstrated a susceptibility to volatility, with a decrease of 7.1 TWh in 1986 followed by an increase of about 8 TWh towards the end of the 1990s. The early 21st century saw a rise and fall pattern, with significant drop experienced in 2009. Despite minor generation from biofuels and wind energy, it's clear that hydroelectric power has dominated Mexico's history in clean electricity generation. The underutilized potential of nuclear energy is also clear, signaling the need for a stronger focus on diversifying clean energy sources moving forward.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources

For the years 1973 to 1984 the data sources are World Bank and IEA (imports/exports).
For the years 1985 to 1989 the data sources are Energy Institute and IEA (imports/exports).
For the years 1990 to 1995 the data sources are Energy Institute and IEA (imports/exports).
For the years 1996 to 1999 the data source is IEA.
For the years 2000 to 2008 the data source is Ember.
For the years 2009 to 2019 the data source is IEA.
For the years 2020 to 2022 the data source is Ember.
For the year 2023 the data source is IEA.
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