Mexico has set itself a target of installing 12,000MW of new renewable energy capacity by 2020.
Pablo Gottfried Blackmore, a member of the Asociación Mexicana de EnergÃa Eólica, said that the "goal is 12 GW, and the Secretaria de Energia already has adopted that number. Studies we have analyzed seem to agree that there is 20 GW of wind potential in Mexico that would be competitive with gas prices. It is critical to bring in the small producers to reach this goal, however."
20GW of wind energy is a lot and could make Mexico completely energy independent, with the majority generated in a renewable manner. However it is unlikely that so much wind capacity will be installed anytime soon. In October Mexico's wind capacity was calculated at 1,000MW, and plans could see that increase to 2,500MW by 2014.
Another renewable energy source that will be important to Mexico is solar. The state of Sonora has been recently described as having the best insolation rate (a measure of the amount of solar radiation that falls on a given surface) in the whole of North America.
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According to the report "Renewable Energies for Sustainable Development in Mexico" compiled for the Secretaria de Energia, just one solar power plant could have the potential to supply the entire country with all its electricity needs.
"Assuming a net system efficiency of 15%, a square of 25 km in Chihuahua or in the Sonora desert would be sufficient to supply all of Mexico's electricity."
By. Joao Peixe of Oilprice.com
Joao is a writer for Oilprice.com More