Baja California Sur’s XVII Legislature voted unanimously on March 24 to demand that CFE (Mexico’s federal electric utility) take immediate action to reduce pollutant emissions at power plants in La Paz and at the Punta Prieta generating station. State representative Erick Iván Agúndez Cervantes introduced the measure, which also calls on SEMARNAT (Mexico’s environment ministry), PROFEPA (the federal environmental enforcement agency), and SENER (the energy ministry) to intervene.
Fuel Oil Blamed for 92 Percent of Sulfur Dioxide Emissions
The legislative action targets a longstanding air quality crisis in the state capital. Baja California Sur’s electrical grid operates in isolation from the national system, and CFE plants in the state have relied heavily on fuel oil, a high-sulfur fuel that produces dangerous levels of air pollution. State emissions data show that electricity generation accounts for 92 percent of sulfur dioxide (SO2) output statewide.
La Paz generates more than 85 percent of the electricity consumed across the Baja California Sur grid. The Punta Prieta plant alone has a capacity of roughly 104 megawatts, and CFE operates several other facilities in the municipality. As of 2019, fuel oil covered about 87 percent of the state’s electricity demand. Natural gas, which burns far more cleanly, has never been available locally because Baja California Sur lacks the pipeline infrastructure to deliver it.
Legislature Seeks Fuel Transition and Regular Inspections
The approved measure makes several specific demands. CFE must install pollution control and reduction systems at La Paz and Punta Prieta plants. The utility must also submit a detailed report to the state legislature’s Ecology and Environment Committee covering current emission levels, mitigation efforts, and chemical analysis of the fuels used for generation.
Beyond controls at existing plants, the legislature called on SENER and CFE to design a phased program replacing fuel oil with cleaner alternatives available on the market. SEMARNAT and PROFEPA are asked to conduct regular compliance inspections, while state and municipal authorities will track progress under PROAIRE, Baja California Sur’s air quality management program.
La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga Romero acknowledged the same day that CFE emissions continue to affect the city’s urban environment, though she expressed confidence in the federal government’s energy transition plans. Civil organizations in the state, including the environmental group CERCA and cycling advocacy group BCSicletos, have long campaigned for cleaner air and have pursued legal action against CFE over pollution in La Paz.
The legislature’s next step will be to formally transmit the resolution to CFE, SEMARNAT, PROFEPA, and SENER, requesting written responses on planned timelines, according to BCS Noticias.