The Baja California Sur state government has completed its funding commitments to bring grid electricity to two remote communities for the first time. Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío confirmed that all three funding partners have paid their shares, clearing the way for construction to begin in Puerto Chale, in the municipality of La Paz, and La Candelaria, in the municipality of Los Cabos.
The combined investment exceeds 66 million pesos (approximately $3.3 million USD). The Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Mexico’s state power utility, has opened a public tender for construction contracts. Costs are split three ways: 35% from the state government, 35% from the respective municipal governments, and 30% from CFE.
What Each Community Will Receive
Puerto Chale, a small fishing and whale-watching community on the Pacific coast south of La Paz, will get 24.5 kilometers of medium-voltage line and 1.96 kilometers of low-voltage distribution network. The system will have a capacity of 778 kVA and serve 323 electrical connections. That portion of the project carries a price tag of 27.98 million pesos (about $1.4 million USD).
La Candelaria, located roughly 30 minutes from Cabo San Lucas in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna, will receive 21.91 kilometers of three-phase aerial power line serving 111 connections. Its budget is 38.93 million pesos (about $1.95 million USD).
Years in the Making
The electrification effort has been a long time coming. As far back as January 2024, Castro Cosío identified both communities as priorities during meetings with CFE officials. The Puerto Chale project was temporarily suspended in late 2025 before being reactivated earlier this year.
Both communities have historically lacked access to reliable electricity. Residents have depended on generators, solar panels, or no power at all. The state previously distributed over 500 photovoltaic systems to off-grid households as a stopgap measure.
Significance for the Region
Puerto Chale is the only certified gray whale watching site in the La Paz municipality. Its off-grid status has limited the development of tourism infrastructure and shortened the visitor season. Grid power could allow operators to expand services during whale season, which runs roughly from January through March.
La Candelaria sits near the entrance to the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve, a popular hiking destination for visitors based in Los Cabos. Reliable electricity could support small-scale rural tourism and improve daily life for the roughly 100 families living there.
The CFE’s public tender process will determine which contractors carry out the work. No official construction start date has been announced.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.