Free Solar Panels Become An Issue In Mexico politics

Installation of solar panels for free onto residences has become a subject of confrontation and debate between the Mexico’s ruling party of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Marko Cortes, leader of the center-right National Action Party (PAN) since Sunday when the latter argued in favour of the proposal staking out its renewable energy credentials. The opposition has turned aggressive since last month when they smelt blood voting down a constitutional overhaul of the power market causing President Obrador a reverse in Congress.

Obrador has dominated Mexican politics since taking office in December 2018. His plan was to tighten CFE control of the market at the expense of private companies. That left the investors in solar and wind power generation high and dry besides the manufacturers with commitments to use more clean energy.

According to the reports, Marko Cortes said the proposal required state power utility Commission Federal de Electricidad (CFE) and the government put panels for free on all homes, “starting with the poorest.” He has been quoted by some reports as saying, “People wouldn’t pay anything, or would pay a lot less for their electricity bill,”.

Cortes further added that the solar panels would be paid for by a subsidy currently going to CFE, and be free for people in the lowest energy consumption bracket. He is eyeing the electorates of the 5 million households who could be the beneficiaries of the first phase of the proposed initiative.

Lopez Obrador, a leftist resource nationalist, argues on the other hand that past governments skewed the power market in favor of private capital at the expense of Mexico’s state power companies and consumers.

The critics dispute this, and argue that Obrador’s policies violate Mexico’s international trade accords, and will cause more pollution.

That a proposal such as free solar panels can make it to the front indicates just how far solar has travelled in terms of affordability as well as perception. With neighbouring US states adding solar in ever increasing quantities, sunnier Mexico has a long way to catch up and clean up its own energy mix, which is seen as high in potential, and low on execution on ground by most international observers.