Industrial growth in Nuevo León, driven by nearshoring, has significantly increased the demand for medium voltage energy, making greater investment in energy infrastructure urgent to ensure electricity supply in the region. According to Emmanuel Loo, head of the Secretariat of Economy of Nuevo León, the state has a surplus of over three thousand megawatts in high voltage.
"The conclusion was clear: we need more investment in medium voltage to supply the industry," Loo pointed out in an interview. Currently, there is an identified demand of almost one thousand megawatts in substations, essential to guarantee electricity supply in development areas. Loo detailed that due to the rapid expansion of companies, some areas have begun to exhaust their medium voltage capacity. However, the industry requires greater availability of medium voltage for its operation.
"Currently, there are almost three billion dollars in planned renewable energy projects for the state. To meet this need, projects have been launched to convert high voltage energy to medium voltage and supply the new industrial zones," he assured.
In that same line, Emmanuel Loo mentioned that there are five substation projects in development that, together, total approximately one thousand megawatts, with an average capacity of 200 megawatts each. Loo also added that the state is awaiting progress in the regulation of Tesla's new generation model, the Cybercab.
Through the Agency for the Promotion and Utilization of Renewable Energies, a mapping was conducted to identify energy needs in high, medium, and low voltage. "Some of these substations will come into operation this year, and others will do so over the course of next year," explained the official.
In addition to transmission and distribution infrastructure, the state of Nuevo León has bet on renewable energies. In total, an investment of around four billion dollars is projected over the next two years, which will strengthen the energy capacity of the region. In the industrial sector, one thousand six hundred Class A and B buildings have been identified, with the goal of all having solar panels on the roof, in accordance with current regulations.
Regarding the gigafactory project of Tesla in Nuevo León, Emmanuel Loo clarified that it has not been canceled. "Suppliers continue to arrive, and exports to Tesla in Austin, Nevada, and Fremont continue to grow. We are waiting for Elon Musk and Tesla to advance on the regulatory issue of the Cybercab to be able to see the timeline of the factory here," he mentioned, emphasizing that they are in the phase of defining rules and permits, but with significant progress.
