Baja California Sur’s state government sent officials to Spain as part of a federal delegation studying concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, a move aimed at addressing the peninsula’s chronic electricity problems.
The technical visit, led by Mexico’s Energy Secretariat (SENER), focused on thermosolar plants that use mirrors to concentrate sunlight and generate electricity. Unlike standard photovoltaic panels, CSP facilities include thermal storage systems that can produce power even after the sun goes down. The delegation is evaluating whether similar infrastructure could be built in BCS.
Why BCS Needs New Energy Options
Baja California Sur operates on an isolated electrical grid, completely disconnected from the national power system that serves the rest of Mexico. The state’s grid, known as the BCSES, had a maximum demand of 513 megawatts in 2020 and relies heavily on aging fossil fuel plants run by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). Those plants burn high-sulfur fuel oil, contributing to air pollution, particularly in La Paz, where more than 85 percent of the state’s electricity is generated.
The isolated grid is a persistent headache for residents and business owners across the state. Power outages are common, especially during summer months when air conditioning drives demand to peak levels. Transmission lines between La Paz and Los Cabos are frequently strained by the heavy loads that resort areas require.
Spain as a Model for Solar Technology
Spain is a global leader in CSP technology. The country hosts dozens of operational thermosolar plants, including the Solucar Complex near Seville, which features 11-megawatt and 20-megawatt solar power towers using hundreds of large movable mirrors called heliostats. These mirrors concentrate sunlight onto receivers atop towers exceeding 100 meters in height, where steam turbines generate electricity.
BCS shares key characteristics with southern Spain: intense solar radiation, arid landscapes, and limited alternative energy sources. A 2019 study by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that integrating renewable energy into the BCS grid could significantly reduce variable electricity generation costs.
What Comes Next
The project falls under Mexico’s National Energy Sovereignty Plan. If approved, SENER and CFE would develop the thermosolar infrastructure in BCS. No timeline or budget has been announced. Since 2017, the state has capped new photovoltaic solar interconnections for residential, commercial, and industrial users due to grid capacity limits, making utility-scale alternatives like CSP increasingly important.
The BCS state government published details of the delegation’s visit on its official website.