In a market that is beginning to show concrete signs of recovery, Skysense clearly identifies where the storage business is today in Mexico: three lines of development that combine immediate execution, new regulatory schemes and emerging models.
“Skysense is looking for three types of projects: operational plants that already have permits and inject energy, where there is an incentive to add storage; new projects under different schemes, where you have power revenues or contracts with CFE; and models such as stand-alone batteries or those associated with the transmission network,” said the company's CEO, Enrique Garduño, during his participation in the Strategic Energy streaming event “It had to be said and it was said.”
It's worth noting that the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) is currently moving forward with mixed investment schemes, the results of which are expected this month. A total of 81 projects are competing for an estimated 7.5 GW of capacity, following the initial phase which saw initiatives totaling approximately 38 GW—more than 580% above the required capacity.
In that regard, Garduño warned: “The mixed investment projects are structured around a fixed payment to the CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) for battery access, with a guaranteed return. There's not much upside there; the Commission reaps the benefits.”
However, the calls also enable more traditional models, where storage participates with market logic with typical power revenues.
“In Mexico, the battery product is called power, it is not necessarily energy arbitrage,” he explained.
This range of models reflects a market undergoing profound redefinition, where the value of energy storage is shifting towards more structured and predictable schemes. Within this context, in recent weeks the government has moved forward with new regulations and administrative provisions that outline the role of energy storage within the electricity system , marking a turning point for its large-scale deployment.
In addition, a new call for proposals will be launched in the coming days and will focus exclusively on storage , a clear sign that the segment is beginning to consolidate within the country's energy planning.
Thus, the focus is shifting towards models linked to power, contracts and integrated solutions , in line with a market that is beginning to mature and define its economic drivers more clearly.
“It’s not the same period as 2014 to 2018, it’s different, but there’s a lot of anticipation. Although it’s not the typical free market, there’s a framework that’s generating a lot of interest. I think it’s like a hangover after six years where not much happened. There are now movements and regulatory changes,” the company representative noted.
Furthermore, he stated that, for the past year and a half, Skysense has been building a business development team for the utility scale sector to generate pipeline, strategy, and raise capital.
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“We are seeing the light, it feels like things are moving forward,” he said.
Regional pipeline and growth strategy
Looking beyond the Mexican market, Skysense is moving forward with a regional strategy to capture opportunities and diversify risks in a highly regulated sector.
“The focus in Latin America is more opportunistic: an opportunity arises, we pursue it, we seek it out, and if it materializes, we execute it, rather than a specific strategy of investing in a particular country. Our commitment to being present in different countries is a way to diversify risk,” the CEO explained.
Currently, the company has projects in various Latin American markets, including Colombia, Central America and Puerto Rico, with applications ranging from microgrids to backup and integration of renewables.
“ Today we have about 220 MWh of storage between operational and under-construction projects ,” Garduño stated, adding that in the Mexican market they have operational behind-the-matter initiatives of 15 or 20 MW.
In parallel, future growth is supported by a significant 3 GWh utility-scale pipeline, with projects under development in Mexico and the Dominican Republic that could materialize in the next two to three years. In this regard, the ongoing tender in the Dominican market appears as a concrete sign of the progress of energy storage in the region, reinforcing interest in these types of large-scale solutions.
In this context, the company also identifies a number of priority markets in the region. Among them, Puerto Rico stands out as one of the most important, driven by the vulnerability of its electrical grid and the need for resilience in the face of extreme weather events, which has particularly boosted the residential segment.
“El Salvador and Guatemala are interesting markets where we are about to start projects. Colombia certainly is. Ecuador could soon become interesting, and Honduras as well. We are looking closely at Central America and the Caribbean,” he said.
Colombia remains one of the most attractive destinations, particularly due to its backup needs and challenges in energy infrastructure.
Finally, the company is closely monitoring developments in countries like Argentina, where it is already exploring opportunities related to critical infrastructure, in a scenario that could become more attractive in the short and medium term. Looking ahead, the company seeks to capitalize on this experience to position itself for the next growth cycle in the sector.
In this context of renewable energy initiatives, the sector will have a key forum for discussion on May 19 at the Future Energy Summit (FES) Mexico , where 500 executives from the public and private sectors are expected to participate. The event is shaping up to be a strategic meeting point for analyzing the schemes, regulatory challenges, and investment opportunities emerging from this new framework for renewables and energy storage.