Mexico’s wind power sector is projecting 16% growth in installed capacity before 2030, driven by permits recently awarded through official government calls. The estimate comes from the Mexican Wind Energy Association (AMDEE), which says that if all approved projects move forward, the country could significantly expand its operational wind fleet over the rest of the decade.
“Today we have close to 8 GW. With the new permits, we would be increasing our share by around 16% over the next three to four years,” said Mauricio Herrera, deputy director of AMDEE.
The industry sees this uptick as the first concrete sign of reactivation after several years with no meaningful capacity additions or new permits. A federal government call launched in October 2025 enabled a fast-track approval process that resulted in 18 projects being authorised, including five wind farms totalling nearly 900 MW, all of them at an advanced stage of technical development.
“The requirements and timelines were very tight. If you weren’t prepared, it was difficult to comply. This was aimed at projects that already had a certain level of progress. We understand there were many applications, but only those that had everything ready were able to move forward,” Herrera explained.
Despite its limitations, the process marked a turning point for a sector that had been largely paralysed. From AMDEE’s perspective, the measure not only unlocked stalled projects but also sent a clear political and technical signal of renewed openness to private investment in renewable energy.
Herrera believes this type of mechanism could become a useful tool to accelerate the execution of projects that have already cleared critical development stages, although he stresses the need for continuity.
“We now understand how the mechanism works. Developers can start preparing all the documentation in advance, so that when the call is launched, they are ready,” he said, referring to a new round expected by the end of January.
He also welcomed the initial results. “Almost one gigawatt of new wind capacity is very good news, without a doubt,” he said. While the call was limited in scope, its effective implementation was widely interpreted as a step towards restoring momentum in the wind power market.
This progress comes amid a broader transformation of Mexico’s power sector. In 2025, a constitutional reform redefined the electricity market, establishing that the state-owned utility Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) must retain at least 54% market participation. This paved the way for the new Electricity Sector Law, published in March, alongside the Planning and Energy Transition Law.
Both frameworks were consolidated in October with the publication of technical regulations and operational instruments, including binding planning mechanisms that define which technologies will be prioritised, in which regions and under what criteria.
“This scheme shows us the roadmap: what needs to be done, which technologies will be deployed, where and when,” Herrera said.
With this legal framework in place, the sector expects further tenders and clearer participation rules. However, Herrera warned that growth will depend on far more than isolated permits. While government signals have been positive, structural constraints remain, particularly in grid transmission capacity.
AMDEE has called for the swift implementation of the planned investments to expand the National Transmission Grid and the General Distribution Network. Progress on energy storage regulation is also urgent, as storage is critical for system reliability, grid integration and the bankability of renewable energy projects.
“There will be a proposal from the National Centre for Energy Control (CENACE) with a methodology for sizing storage systems and linking them to renewable projects,” Herrera said. In the meantime, developers are also watching hybrid projects, which still lack specific regulation.
Looking ahead to 2026, the industry expects the transformation process to continue. “The regulation is not yet complete,” Herrera cautioned. Further changes to market rules, updates to remuneration schemes and the publication of a new Electricity Sector Development Plan are expected. This roadmap, due by May next year, should define the system’s long-term direction.
In parallel, a pipeline of wind projects is ready to move forward once the regulatory framework is consolidated. As previously reported by Energía Estratégica, AMDEE has identified 30 wind projects with secured land and lease reservation agreements, representing around 5 GW of capacity.
“These 30 wind farms already have defined sites. There are agreements in place with landowners—private or communal—and reservation leases are already being paid,” said Héctor Treviño, AMDEE’s executive director. Their development could unlock more than USD 6.5 billion in private investment.
“This will have a cascading effect,” Herrera concluded. The industry has begun to respond, but sustaining momentum will require coherence from constitutional principles down to technical regulations and market operating rules. The signal has been sent; now the sector is waiting for continuity.
