Mexico's commercial and industrial (C&I) sector is finding new alternatives to make solar and BESS projects viable , with shorter-term PPAs, fintechs and private funds gaining ground in response to the needs of companies seeking to avoid lengthy contractual commitments.
The topic was part of the debate at Intersolar Mexico, which takes place from September 1 to 3 at the Citibanamex Center in Mexico City , where Energía Estratégica is providing exclusive coverage along with industry leaders.
“Those who put up the money want long-term projects, while those who want the infrastructure installed want to sign short-term projects,” said Gilberto Sánchez , president of the National Solar Energy Association (ANES).
Faced with this difference, he identified an alternative: “It is worthwhile to present shorter-term PPA projects so that companies are encouraged and can start setting energy costs for the future.”
Storage opens another avenue to support C&I, so Yolanda Villegas González, president of the Mexican Association of Storage, Electrification and Mobility (AMAEM) , emphasized that various investment funds are already contributing CAPEX to facilitate the incorporation of this technology.
Although it remains to expand these schemes to smaller companies and also to ensure that all users can receive this benefit as end users .
These alternatives are gaining relevance in the face of electricity demand driven by nearshoring, new manufacturing investments and data centers , which, according to industry estimates, could require more than 1500 MW of new capacity over the next few years .
Distributed generation is also accelerating. Mexico added nearly 1 GW during 2025 , and the Ministry of Energy (Sener) expects to reach around 5 GW by 2030 .
Osvaldo Birlain, head of the General Directorate of Technological Development and Access to Energy, explained during Intersolar Mexico 2026 that this projection aligns with the national objective of increasing the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix to 38% by the end of the decade, a plan that also includes 22 GW of new renewable capacity , with approximately 14 GW of solar , along with 5.5 GW of storage systems .
In this scenario, behind-the-meter solutions take center stage to meet C&I requirements without depending exclusively on the timelines of major electrical works.
“I believe the fastest way to implement this is behind the meter photovoltaic generation and electrical energy storage. And in large projects, the industry prioritizes having a third party provide this,” the president of ANES explained.
The opportunity lies in finding structures that align the timelines required by those contributing resources with the needs of the companies. Shorter PPAs emerge as an alternative to provide predictability in energy costs without requiring such lengthy commitments.
However, industry representatives acknowledged that commercial banks are not offering a wide range of financing options for these types of projects. “We would like commercial banks to have many more financing business models for these types of industries,” Sánchez emphasized.
BESS opens opportunities as networks advance
Along with economic mechanisms, the location of new capacity will be crucial for supporting industrial corridors . The country has already undergone a photovoltaic concentration in the north that generated daytime surpluses and increased trade between regions.
The same logic applies to batteries. In the north , 240 MW of storage were planned, where there is a surplus of production during the day while the region needs to import electricity from other areas at night.
The new development hubs in the south expand the map of opportunities and will require additional infrastructure. Mexico will also need to strengthen its capacity to transport electricity over long distances.
Walter Julián Ángel Jiménez, Secretary of Energy Development for the State of Tamaulipas , warns that transmission networks may require between three and ten years , so he proposes incorporating other solutions while the structural works advance, while also "giving greater capacities to the territories" and incorporating technologies in the process of maturing without prematurely imposing schemes that limit their development.
Storage systems can provide flexibility during the years required to develop transmission and distribution, although the next step will be to finalize the conditions for expanding their participation in C&I.
AMAEM values the five proposed modalities for the technology, including those associated with load centers, generation, and non-associated systems. However, some issues remain to be resolved, primarily concerning tariffs, permits, interconnection studies, and stand-alone configurations .
“There are many companies that currently need to have that generation, to have those storage systems with the stand-alone model, and the current legislation still does not allow us to reach that point that is required in terms of the industry,” Villegas warns.
Meanwhile, the creation of new Official Mexican Standards (NOMs) is progressing, although disagreements still exist among authorities that need to be resolved. Therefore, defining stand-alone systems, tariffs, and the implementation of non-associated systems will be key to avoiding delays and transforming existing interest into new projects .
From Tamaulipas, Ángel Jiménez identifies institutional predictability as another necessary element for attracting new industrial expansions: “Generating legal certainty through public policy. Furthermore, if we don't address energy efficiency, we will continue to waste time.”
Thus, shorter-term PPAs, fintechs, private funds, and BESS models are beginning to expand the available alternatives amidst an Intersolar Mexico agenda that will continue until this Thursday, September 3, with a common signal: the regional race is no longer explained solely by adding solar MW.