Electricity in Mexico in 2023

In 2023, Mexico's electricity consumption is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. The country generates more than 271 TWh from fossil sources, with the lion's share coming from gas at 209 TWh, while oil and coal contribute 34 TWh and 28 TWh respectively. Low-carbon electricity accounts for 82 TWh, with solar, hydropower, and wind each contributing approximately 21 TWh and nuclear around 12 TWh. Biofuels add approximately 7 TWh. Compared to the global average of 432 watts per person, Mexico's electricity consumption is much lower, which can have several negative impacts like limiting industrial productivity, economic growth, and overall quality of life due to unreliable power supply.

Suggestions

To increase its low-carbon electricity generation, Mexico can draw inspiration from successful countries. For example, China has achieved impressive outputs of 886 TWh from wind and 584 TWh from solar energy, indicating the potential for significant expansions in these areas. Similar strides can be seen in the United States, which generates 775 TWh from nuclear energy and 238 TWh from solar. Furthermore, countries with geographic and economic similarities to Mexico, such as Brazil (producing 96 TWh from wind) and India (113 TWh from solar), demonstrate that expanding clean energy infrastructures is a viable and essential strategy. Policies that support investments in nuclear, wind, and solar power can facilitate these transitions, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change and air pollution.

History

Looking at Mexico's history of low-carbon electricity generation, certain trends emerge. In the early 1980s, hydropower saw substantial gains, notably increasing by nearly 8 TWh in 1981 and another 4.8 TWh in 1985, although these gains were interspersed with occasional declines such as a 7.1 TWh drop in 1986. The 1990s and early 2000s similarly exhibited fluctuations in hydropower, with significant increases in some years, like 8.2 TWh in 1999 and 11.9 TWh in 2008, countered by drops in others, such as 12.5 TWh in 2009. More recently, there have been positive developments in solar and wind, with both increasing by about 4.7 TWh in 2019 and solar alone jumping by 9.2 TWh in 2020. Despite a 15 TWh decline in hydropower in 2023, the trend toward increasing solar and wind energy is encouraging for the country’s sustainable electricity future.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources