On October 23, Mexico officially adopted the new General Administrative Provisions (DACGs) that regulate the granting, modification and validity of permits for the generation and storage of electrical energy .
Issued by the National Energy Commission (CNE) and published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), these provisions establish a unified and mandatory framework that applies to all individuals, legal entities and public entities that wish to develop electrical projects in the country.
The regulation incorporates legal, technical and financial criteria and is strictly aligned with the binding planning principles defined by the Ministry of Energy.
The publication comes at a key moment, following the recent call by the Mexican government to the private sector to develop 6000 MW of renewable energy , a fact that anticipates a considerable increase in permit applications.
This new regulatory framework seeks to provide legal and operational certainty in an energy transition context where order, administrative agility and alignment with the planned expansion of the National Electric System (SEN) are required.
One of the main definitions of the regulations is that any Power Plant or Storage System with a capacity equal to or greater than 0.7 MW must have a permit issued by the CNE.
The exception for exempt generators below this threshold remains in place.
The regulation includes both self-consumption projects and generation for the Wholesale Electricity Market (MEM) , as well as infrastructure intended for energy export or developed in mixed investment schemes between the State and private entities.
For interconnected self-consumption projects with a capacity between 0.7 and 20 MW , a simplified procedure is maintained in accordance with the Agreement published on August 6, 2025.
In these cases, additional documentation is required to prove the company name of the users, the particular network, the injection capacity and the service contracts if there are several users.
Likewise, specific parameters are established for isolated schemes, without connection to the SEN, exempt from presenting a social impact statement if their capacity does not exceed 20 MW.
For projects directed to the MEM, the following details must be provided: the type of legal entity under which they will operate (private, public or mixed), the type of technology, the installed capacity in alternating and direct current, the fuel consumption if applicable, and the work program broken down by stages.
In cases of long-term production , the corresponding contract with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) must be presented and proof must be provided that all of the energy will be destined for this public company.
In mixed investment schemes, it must be demonstrated that CFE maintains a participation equal to or greater than 54% in the project.
Regarding storage, the new regulation establishes the specific technical, documentary and financial requirements for obtaining permits.
Applicants must submit single-line diagrams, system technical data sheets, implementation schedules, business operation plans, and documentation that supports the technical and financial capacity to execute the project.
In addition, it is mandatory to have the results of the Impact Study or its rapid version, prepared by CENACE, to verify the feasibility of interconnection to the SEN.
One of the pillars of the regulations is the strengthening of financial and technical requirements.
Interested parties must demonstrate experience in similar projects, submit audited financial statements for the last two years , and deliver a complete financing plan that includes net capital flows, investment scheme, contributions, and letters of intent or irrevocable credit that guarantee the execution of the project.
All of this is accompanied by a detailed business plan with projections of profitability, operating costs, rates of return and risk analysis.
The permit application must be made through the Electronic Filing Office (OPE) of the CNE, in official formats that include both legal and technical information about the project.
The required documentation varies depending on whether it is a natural person, legal entity, state agency or public company, but in all cases it is necessary to prove legal personality, tax status, legal and technical capacity, and knowledge of and commitment to the applicable regulatory framework.
Once the application has been submitted, the evaluation procedure has a maximum period of 60 working days , in accordance with the provisions of article 25 of the Regulations of the Electricity Sector Law.
The CNE may authorize, request additional information, or deny the request if risks to the accessibility, security or sustainability of the system are identified, or if the documentation is insufficient or contains false data.
Refusals must be duly justified and motivated.
Another key aspect is the determination of the validity of the permits , which is subject to the type of figure and modality of the project.
For self-consumption permits, the validity period will be 20 years .
Projects geared towards the Wholesale Electricity Market will have a validity of 25 years , while those developed under mixed schemes may reach up to 30 years .
In the case of migrations of operating power plants , an additional 15 years will be granted, added to the remaining period of the original permit, with a maximum limit of 30 years .
For their part, the migrated power plants that are not yet in operation will have a validity of 20 years if they correspond to self-consumption and 25 years if they are destined for the MEM.
The agreement also regulates the conditions for modifying existing permits , whether due to technical changes, legal updates, transfers, migrations, mergers or spin-offs.
In each case, supporting documentation must be submitted and the established procedures followed.
It is clarified that infrastructure construction cannot begin without first obtaining the final authorization regarding social impact issued by the Ministry of Energy, and without this having been formally notified to the National Energy Commission.
With these new provisions, the Mexican government consolidates a regulatory strategy that seeks to reconcile openness to private investment with the security and efficiency of the national electricity system , in line with the objectives of reliability and sustainability.
The inclusion of binding planning as a central element for evaluation and permit granting marks a fundamental change, aimed at ensuring that each project is aligned with the orderly expansion of the National Electric System (SEN) and has the necessary elements to be executed responsibly.
This regulatory update represents a substantial step forward in modernizing the regulatory framework of the Mexican electricity sector, by clearly defining the requirements, processes and criteria that all actors in the national energy ecosystem must follow.
In a scenario of renewable growth, openness to the private sector and pressure to meet climate goals, the DACGs will allow developers, investors and public institutions to operate under clear, transparent rules oriented towards technical and strategic compliance.