Social Consequences of Rapid Energy Systems Change: Mexico’s Energy Transition

• In Event: Power, Drivers, and Narratives in Sustainable Energy Transitions - II

Abstract

Sustainable energy access is one of the key drivers for global equity, justice, and human development. However, it has been demonstrated that the use of renewable technologies to address energy poverty is not necessarily linked to improved living conditions and a reduction of inequalities for communities.

This paper explores the geographies of energy and democracy in Mexico. What do contesting visions of the future reveal about values and shared understandings on clean energy transitions? How do these imaginaries shape existing material configurations, power relations, and perceived avenues for action and policy decision-making? Drawing on comparative case studies, ethnographical research, and a comprehensive review of the media and major legislations, this research aims to understand the narratives and imaginaries that are driving one of the most aggressive contemporary energy transformations in the world.

In less than 10 years, not only did Mexico legally changed its constitution to allow for private partnerships schemes in the exploration and refinement of fossil fuels; but also, enacted ground-breaking legislation to combat climate change and accelerate the adoption of renewable forms of electricity production. This research explores the consequences of these rapid changes in Mexican society and their energy market. As countries keep increasing the rate of adoption of emissions-free energy alternatives, there are several lessons to be learned from the Mexican experience.

Here I argue that projects of this nature have proved to be a critical referendum on the possibilities for renewable energy, but are not singular nor will they be unique as renewable energy projects continue to expand in Latin America and around the world. It is a lesson, however, in how disjointed development and failed attempts at sustainability mirror other projects that have similarly taken market-based models as the only possible solution to the threats of the Anthropocene.

Author

• Carlo Altamirano, Arizona State University