Mexico agrees with the US to increase CFE's solar energy with the support of the private sector

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, during the meeting with John Kerry, to his right, and part of his cabinet. MEXICO PRESIDENCY (via REUTERS)

The Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador will formally commit itself on Friday, at the multilateral forum of the Summit of the Major World Economies, to accelerate its transition to clean energy with a series of concrete measures.

Among them, "grow solar energy by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE)" and "work together with the private sector for that purpose."

This was stated this Tuesday by the Secretary of Foreign Relations, Marcelo Ebrard, after the meeting that the White House envoy for the climate, John Kerry, has held with the Mexican president and part of his cabinet.

The Joe Biden Administration has repeatedly expressed its concern about Mexico's energy policy, mainly encouraged by an electrical reform that has so far been at an impasse due to the lack of consensus, and seeks to bring positions closer together on that front.

Kerry's new visit takes place against this backdrop.

But other circumstances are also added to this encounter.

It was held when the ninth Summit of the Americas had just ended in Los Angeles, an appointment that López Obrador did not attend due to his disagreement with the exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and on the eve of the multilateral forum convened for this Friday, June 17.

In other words, the meeting also had the purpose, from the US perspective, of reducing the rough edges that surfaced last week and avoiding surprises at Friday's summit.

The conversation has lasted more than two hours.

Foreign Minister Ebrard has described it as "quite interesting" and has reiterated Mexico's commitment to "comply with the goal of 35% clean energy" and even more.

"The president asked us to raise it," he added.

Kerry has explained at the gates of the National Palace that López Obrador was very direct in emphasizing his energy commitments and has been convinced that there will be no problems for private sector investments, a constant claim from Washington after the fears generated by the return of most of the market to the CFE, a state company.

“And the president has been very clear.

He has made decisions to try to make it easier for these companies to get ahead, do business and also send a message: that the private sector will be able to participate in various ways to invest and be part of this transition.

We all realize that no one can do it alone.

No government can do it alone.

No company can do it alone.

We have to work together and partner in the future.

In addition to the president and Ebrard, the meeting was also attended by the Secretary of the Interior, Adán Augusto López;

the Treasury, Rogelio Ramírez de la O;

the Secretary of Energy, Rocío Nahle;

the general secretary of the CFE, Manuel Bartlett;

and the general secretary of Pemex, Octavio Romero Oropeza.

“We met again with John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate.

He followed up on commitments in energy and the environment.

He is a respectful, conciliatory and purposeful person, ”López Obrador indicated at the end of the meeting.

On Monday, when announcing the appointment, the president had stated in his morning press conference that "the United States has a serious problem because it is already more than five dollars a gallon of gasoline on average."

“And do you know why they are suffering from this crisis in the United States and in other countries?

Because the speculators, those who manage the financial markets and the experts through the information media sold well in advance that oil was no longer going to be used and that it was already the era of electric cars, and they stopped investing in the oil industry”.

said the president spinning a criticism of electric transport.

The frictions between the two governments, or at least the disparity of positions, are evident not only in energy matters, but also in the field of security or migration.

But the two Administrations do work together to try to reduce the distance and explore an agreement.

The meetings are constant.

"Ongoing dialogue at the highest levels is crucial to achieving the shared hemispheric goals that we agreed upon at the Summit of the Americas," said the US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar.

"Today's meeting between President López Obrador and Climate Envoy Kerry brings us one step closer to a green energy future."

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