Reginaldo Sandoval, the president of the Infrastructure Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, recently announced that the assets of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) are estimated to be worth roughly 21 billion pesos. He, as a representative of the PT, spoke about how there were initial plans for the CFE to cease to exist as a state-owned public company by 2031 due to neoliberal reform. This would have resulted in all production of electrical energy being handled exclusively by private companies, a process that had attracted an investment of 33 billion dollars.
During his keynote speech titled Energy infrastructure and the heritage of protected natural areas: An unavoidable binomial
, Sandoval further highlighted that this potential shift towards privatization was halted with the dawn of the Fourth Transformation. Under this new paradigm, a constitutional reform was proposed that sought to ensure that the CFE, in its capacity as a state-owned company, would be responsible for producing 54 percent of the country’s energy, with private companies contributing the remaining 46 percent. However, this proposal was not accepted by the opposition at that time.
Originally scheduled to speak at the third National Transformative Infrastructure Week, the general director of the CFE, Manuel Bartlett, only attended to express his regret for not being able to participate due to new INE prohibitions. Bartlett said, I have bad news, starting today the participation of officials in forums in which government achievements are presented is prohibited, because the INE establishes that prohibition. I would have loved to be with you, that is what we think is fundamental in politics: having contact with people, with young people, discussing, receiving questions, entering into debates and this is a fantastic forum
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As per the new INE regulations, Bartlett further explained that there are several topics that officials are now forbidden to discuss. He added, I came to explain it to you personally. When this great ban passes I will be very happy to repeat the forum… So I can make another comment, they are going to fine me half a million pesos
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Shirley Wagner, an expert in electricity and renewable energy, emphasized the need for meticulous planning for the expansion and modernization of the national electrical system. According to her, this is crucial to meet demand, lower costs, and further the country’s energy transition goals. She suggested that a long-term strategy, multilateral banking financing, and suitable projects, like replacing existing infrastructure with state-of-the-art technology, are vital for achieving these objectives.
Heberto Barrios Castillo, the Undersecretary of Planning and Energy Transition of the Ministry of Energy, was also unable to make his presentation due to the electoral ban.
