Environmental Groups Demand Transparency on CFE Submarine Power Line in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — Environmental groups have launched a public petition demanding transparency from Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) regarding a submarine power line project they say threatens the Mesoamerican Reef.

The petition, initiated by the environmental collective Tribu Sustentable on Change.org, calls for an open informational meeting with CFE’s Regional Peninsular Transmission Management. It seeks detailed technical data about the LT Playa del Carmen–Chankanaab II project, which would install a submarine power cable between Playa del Carmen and an island area.

Organizers say the lack of accessible information has created uncertainty among residents and environmental organizations, who consider direct dialogue with federal authorities essential.

The project entered environmental evaluation with the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) in 2022 and received initial authorization for development. Since then, visible work has altered Playa del Carmen’s urban landscape through excavations that significantly affected various city roadways.

The current project phase includes the potential temporary closure of Playa 88 to continue work, which has intensified public opposition.

Environmental organizations oppose the submarine line’s execution under current conditions, warning of serious risks to the Mesoamerican Reef system. Their primary concern focuses on potential damage to coral formations, which they describe as highly vulnerable to large-scale human interventions.

In their published rationale, Tribu Sustentable states the project lacks strict environmental supervision to guarantee marine environment protection. The collective warns that execution without adequate controls could cause irreversible damage to Quintana Roo’s ecosystem, a region recognized for high biodiversity and protected flora and fauna species.

Coral reefs, they emphasize, show extreme sensitivity to drilling operations, cable laying, and machinery traffic, meaning any alteration could accelerate their deterioration.

Damage to these ecosystems would directly affect not only environmental balance but also the tourism activity that sustains much of the regional economy.

Organized citizens now demand that CFE publicly present planned environmental mitigation and protection measures, along with technical methods for submarine cable drilling and installation. They argue that energy infrastructure development must follow transparency criteria without compromising natural heritage.