ENERGY
Power outages cost $400 million annually, energy expert says
Annual power outages across Baja California cost the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors an estimated $400 million every year, according to U.S.-based energy experts.
Víctor Izquierdo Blanco, executive coordinator at the energy firm TTN Energía and an expert in power sector law, shared the findings during a presentation to analysts involved with the U.S. Congress’s Energy Permit Reform Act (EPRA), a legislative effort aimed at streamlining critical infrastructure approvals.
“To put the residential impact into perspective, that $400 million figure accounts for what everyday households lose when power isn’t restored quickly,” Izquierdo said. He explained that the figure includes spoiled food, expenses for remote workers or students forced to seek power elsewhere, and even hotel costs when homes remain without electricity.
While public frustration often targets Mexico’s state-owned electric utility, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Izquierdo clarified that consumers and media frequently misunderstand the legal division of responsibilities.
“Public commentary usually blames the CFE, but they are actually the least responsible for these disruptions,” he noted. “The responsibility lies with CENACE [the National Energy Control Center], an entity that operates independently of the CFE.”
Following Mexico’s 2013 energy reforms under former President Enrique Peña Nieto, CENACE was separated from the CFE to prevent conflicts of interest in grid management. Current law dictates that while the CFE maintains electrical substations and local distribution, CENACE manages long-term grid planning, load dispatch, and budget requests to the Ministry of Energy.
“CENACE is the first to know about regional vulnerabilities because they plan the system, track real-time generation versus demand, and identify critical peak hours,” Izquierdo said, emphasizing the persistent lack of coordination between grid operators and the utility.
The crisis is particularly severe in Baja California. Unlike most Mexican states, the Baja California peninsula functions as an isolated regional grid, disconnected from the national interconnect system. This isolation hampers local operators’ ability to import excess power during demand spikes.
As a further complication, roughly 70% of Baja California’s electricity is generated from fossil fuels, which increases generation costs and exacerbates regional environmental issues, according to Izquierdo.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Bi-National rescue saves Honduran man stranded at US-Mexico border
Authorities rescued a 25-year-old Honduran man Thursday morning after he became stranded along the U.S.-Mexico border wall near Mexicali, suffering from dehydration and disorientation amid extreme desert heat.
The man, identified as Freddy Jassiel, was located in an agricultural area just a few yards from the border fence near the “La Mojonera 222” landmark. His vulnerable condition prompted a swift response from law enforcement on both sides of the border.
Mexicali’s Municipal Public Safety Department collaborated with U.S. Border Patrol agents and officials from Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) to execute the rescue operation.
“Thanks to the coordination between the Municipal Public Safety Department and U.S. authorities, an effective operation was deployed to bring him to safety,” local officials stated.
After the rescue, Jassiel was taken to the INM, where he is currently receiving medical assistance and remains under official protection.
– Staff Report
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