Mexico: SENER Amends Strategic Projects Application Deadlines

In brief

On 6 September 2026, the third amendment to the Call for Proposals for Strategic Electric Power Generation and Storage Projects, in accordance with the binding plan (“Call for Proposals”), was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (“DOF”), which amended the certain deadlines for Stage 2 of Section 17.1 for electricity generation projects and energy storage systems.

The Call for Proposals, originally published on 15 May 2026, establishes a priority mechanism for the consideration and development of strategic renewable energy generation and electricity storage projects aligned with the sector’s binding planning, applicable to projects with a capacity of 0.7 MW or greater.

In more detail

This Call for Proposals is aimed at individuals interested in developing strategic renewable energy generation and storage projects aligned with the binding planning framework for the electricity sector, under partnership arrangements with the Federal Electricity Commission (“CFE”). To this end, it establishes a priority mechanism for processing permit applications and interconnection and connection studies and, where applicable, for entering into the corresponding contracts, with the aim of facilitating the development of such projects.

The Call for Proposals applies to renewable electricity generation plants and standalone electricity storage systems (“SAEE”) with a capacity of 0.7 MW or greater. Projects must contribute to the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of the National Electric System (“SEN”), address the needs identified in accordance with binding planning, and, where applicable, provide evidence of the corresponding technical, social, and environmental feasibility studies. Additionally, they must specify the joint development or partnership framework under which the project is intended to be developed with CFE.

The Call for Proposals excludes distributed generation, self-consumption, and cogeneration projects, as well as power plants that already held a generation permit prior to its publication. It also excludes SAEE projects that do not require a permit or authorization; those associated with infrastructure intended for the Public Transmission and Distribution Service; and those associated with power plants or load centers linked to permits or authorizations in effect as of the date of submission of the corresponding expression of interest.

The procedure provides for the coordinated participation of SENER, the National Energy Commission (“CNE”), the National Energy Control Center (“CENACE”), and CFE. The Single Window for Strategic Projects in the Energy Sector (“VUPE”) is the primary channel for submitting the expression of interest and the request for interconnection and connection studies, as well as for tracking the procedure.

The stages include the registration of the expression of interest and request for studies, review by CFE, completion of the connection or interconnection studies, notification of the costs for reinforcement works and interconnection, acceptance of the corresponding costs, technical evaluation, the opinion of the Technical Analysis Group (“GAT”), the formalization of the project in partnership with CFE, the application for a permit, and, subsequently, the submission of guarantees and the execution of the interconnection or connection contract. If CFE does not express interest in having the project evaluated, the partnership is not formalized, or the applicant does not accept the applicable costs of reinforcement and interconnection works, the procedure is terminated.

Once the Reinforcement and Interconnection Works and their costs have been accepted, their execution is irrevocable; therefore, any subsequent refusal or failure to comply may result in a breach of the corresponding permit or instrument and the release of the allocated capacity.

The Call for Proposals also establishes reference values for Required Capacity to identify the SEN’s needs. For SAEE, the Call for Proposals establishes a reference Required Capacity of 935 MW, distributed among the various CENACE Regional Control Offices, with three hours of storage. This capacity does not constitute a strict limit on the acceptance of proposals; therefore, projects other than those listed in the table may be submitted, provided they contribute to meeting the needs of the SEN and comply with the applicable requirements, criteria, and stages.

Background

The Call for Proposals was originally issued by the Ministry of Energy (“SENER”) on 15 May 2026.

Since its publication, the Call for Proposals has been amended three times. The first amendment, published on 26 May 2026, changed the submission period for expressions of interest and study requests from 25 May–25 August 2026, to 2 June–2 September 2026.

The second amendment, published on 10 July 2026, made broader adjustments to the procedure. The amendment did not introduce additional eligibility requirements or change the types of projects eligible to participate.

Among the main changes, it included a 10-business-day period for CFE to indicate whether it is interested in having the project evaluated for a potential partnership; if there is no interest, the procedure concludes. It also specified that the phases are sequential; therefore, except for expressly provided exceptions, failure to comply with one phase prevents proceeding to subsequent ones, and it adjusted the role of SENER and the GAT in the evaluation of projects and in formalizing the partnership with CFE. Furthermore, it allowed projects to participate simultaneously in other calls for proposals. Those who had submitted expressions of interest and requests for feasibility studies prior to 10 July 2026, had five business days to indicate their intention to continue under the previous procedure; in the absence of such an indication, the modified procedure applied.

Finally, the third amendment, published on 2 September 2026, modified Stage 2 of Section 17.1 and, consistent with the first amendment, set 2 September 2026, as the deadline for generation projects and extended the deadline for SAEE projects to 30 October 2026. Taken together, the amendments clarified the sequence of the procedure, the roles of the authorities, and the deadlines applicable to generation projects and SAEE.

Recommended actions

Companies that have submitted projects within the applicable deadlines should:

Confirm that their projects meet the eligibility criteria and do not fall under any of the exclusion criteria
Evaluate the structure and progress of the partnership arrangement with CFE
Review the information required for interconnection or connection studies, as well as the potential costs of reinforcement works
Verify the status of procedures initiated within the applicable deadlines and closely monitor each stage, given the sequential nature of the process

Baker McKenzie can assist developers, investors, and other participants in the electricity sector with project evaluation, structuring partnership arrangements with CFE, reviewing regulatory requirements, and providing support throughout the various stages outlined in the Call for Proposals.

In brief

In more detail

Background

Recommended actions

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