COVID-19 Impacts on Mexican Power Sector

Abstract

The study investigated the changes that occurred in the Mexican power sector before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions on the electricity sector and energy sustainability goals. The study was based on the variability of the installed capacity, consumption, generation, and demand of the National Electric System (SEN), covering the period from 2017 to 2021. The data were collected from the Development of the National Electric System (PRODESEN), the Ministry of Energy, the National Energy Balance, and the government’s official website. The results indicated that installed capacity and generation increased by 22.83% and 27.86%, respectively, despite the pandemic. This growth was attributed to clean energy, mainly from photovoltaic solar and wind sources. Another finding was that the gross domestic product (GDP), consumption, and demand were seriously affected by COVID-19. They had a fall of 8.2%, 2.2%, and 4.4%, respectively, which translates into a significant economic lag and a slowdown in energy self-sufficiency and the Mexican Energy Transition (TEM). Moreover, the objective of generating 35% and 40% of electrical energy through clean energy will be achieved by 2031 and 2035, instead of 2021 and 2035, respectively.