Sheinbaum Announces More Gas and Power Grid Upgrades for Quintana Roo

Mexico City — Mexico’s federal government will bolster electricity supply across the Yucatan Peninsula by increasing the availability of natural gas, particularly for Quintana Roo, and by modernizing and maintaining transmission and distribution networks, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo announced.

Sheinbaum said connecting a gas pipeline to boost supply in the region is one of two measures her administration has defined in response to the recent power interruptions.

The second measure is a comprehensive strengthening of transmission and distribution infrastructure, work coordinated by Energy Secretary Luz Elena González Escobar and Emilia Esther Calleja Alor, director general of the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission).

Fault at Transmission Tower Left Areas Without Power for Hours

Turning to the outage that prompted questions at her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said the incident originated in a failure on the high-voltage network.

The president said the problem occurred at a transmission tower and led to several hours of interrupted service.

Sheinbaum stressed that the infrastructure requires permanent supervision and maintenance, including pruning and clearing in areas where vegetation can interfere with power lines.

She explained that even the growth of a tree’s branches near a distribution line can cut service to an entire neighborhood.

CFE Deploys Crews to Critical Sites

Calleja Alor said the CFE has moved crews from various parts of the country to the Yucatan Peninsula to carry out modernization and maintenance work and to address problems in the electrical infrastructure.

The utility’s director said the work is based on specific diagnoses for each area, aimed at identifying and correcting the causes of the interruptions.

Vegetation stands out among the factors detected, she said, because the region’s humid conditions encourage rapid growth that can damage power lines.

The pruning program is carried out in coordination with state governments, while the CFE holds weekly meetings with local authorities to identify new sites that need attention.

No Timeline or Investment Figure for New Gas Pipeline

Calleja Alor said the measures taken are already beginning to show results and insisted the company is working to address the root causes of the failures detected.

She noted that power interruptions have a direct impact on families, businesses and industries in the region, so monitoring continues in the areas of greatest need.

However, no execution dates, investment amounts or planned route for the pipeline that will increase gas supply to the peninsula — and particularly to Quintana Roo — were disclosed during the press conference.