Yucatan Peninsula Produces Only Half the Electricity It Consumes, CFE Says

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The Yucatan Peninsula consumes about twice as much electricity as it produces, leaving the region dependent on a single, frequently overloaded transmission line from central Mexico, officials from the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) told business leaders.

At a working meeting convened by Canaco Chetumal, the local branch of the National Chamber of Commerce, CFE executives said regional demand reaches 3,000 megawatts (MW) — a figure that includes 55 MW supplied to Belize. Local generation capacity is only 1,600 MW, so roughly 1,400 MW, or nearly 50% of consumption, must be imported over one transmission line that experiences constant overloads during peak hours.

Gas Pipeline Delays Block Combined-Cycle Plants

To ease recurring blackouts in Quintana Roo, combined-cycle plants in Mérida and Valladolid are fully ready to generate electricity using natural gas imported from Texas. But their start-up remains on hold pending completion of a segment of the supply pipeline, which is still in right-of-way negotiations with private landowners.

Canaco Chetumal president Adrienne Díaz Villanueva met with Héctor Raúl Aguilar Valenzuela, manager of CFE’s Peninsular Distribution Division, and Ubaldo Llanes Moo, superintendent of the South Zone of Quintana Roo, to demand concrete answers and establish immediate response channels for the business sector.

Cozumel Depends on Submarine Cable

The fragility of the system hits the island zone hardest. Cozumel produces only 40% of the electricity it consumes and depends critically on the submarine cable connecting it to the mainland. CFE confirmed that the tender to replace the cable has been awarded, but the new line will take about two years to enter service.

After recent failures and a massive blackout last week, CFE deployed 200 specialized workers to inspect transmission lines, transformers and utility poles in southern Quintana Roo. As part of those initial efforts, officials plan the urgent replacement of 600 poles on the Chetumal grid.

Belize Declares State of Emergency

The energy shortfall has crossed borders. Belize recently declared a national state of emergency because of a generation deficit that could last up to 12 months. CFE normally sends between 30 and 35 MW to its neighbor, within a considered maximum of 55 MW.

Business leaders in southern Quintana Roo stressed that a stable electricity supply is crucial to the survival of local commerce and said they will maintain a permanent monitoring group with CFE.