Record heat in Mexico raises concerns over electricity and animal welfare

Mexico has been consuming record amounts of electricity and occasionally more than its utility infrastructure can generate and transmit, official data showed, as scorching heat and water shortages raise the likelihood of power outages.

Mexico has been reeling from a high-pressure weather phenomenon known as a “heat dome,” which has trapped hot air over much of the country, creating record-breaking temperatures that have surpassed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places.

On May 27, Mexico consumed 51,595 megawatts of electricity across the country, grid operator National Center for Energy Control (CENACE) recorded. When demand exceeds supply, the country becomes much more prone to outages.

With some widespread outages so far this year already, and even hotter days forecast, water and electricity have become major election issues ahead of a national vote on June 2.

Finding a sustainable solution that keeps up with rising demand will be a major challenge for the next president.

State-owned utility Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), a near-monopoly that produces 99.47% of Mexico’s electricity, and state-owned grid operator CENACE are suffering from aging and insufficient infrastructure as well as inadequate efforts to modernize and invest in renewable power sources.

“There have been too many years now where demand was growing but there was an underinvestment in electricity generation and transmission,” said Paul Alejandro Sanchez, an independent energy consultant. “The challenge isn’t the average demand. It’s when demand spikes to such extremes.”

Heat has driven electricity consumption by both households and industries, but Mexico also keeps growing. Increasing supply in the short term is difficult, and hydroelectric plants in particular have also been hit by extreme water shortages.

Over the past six years, energy nationalist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has prioritized CFE, which largely burns fuel oil, a residual waste product Pemex refineries are producing, to generate electricity.

Under Mr. Lopez Obrador, experts have criticized that electricity generation has become dirtier, more expensive, and less sustainable.

He also curtailed growth of privately owned generators, many of which have seen their renewable energy plans stymied.

International organizations have said Mexico is ideally positioned to become a clean energy powerhouse given its high solar radiation, wind capacity, and geothermal sources.

Mexico relied on fossil fuels for 77% of its electricity generation last year, according to Ember. Its largest source of clean electricity is solar with 6%.

Mr. Lopez Obrador is barred from running for a second term in the June 2 election. But the three candidates vying for the presidency of Latin America’s second-largest economy have vowed to tap the country’s vast solar, wind, and water potential to generate more electricity.

Claudia Sheinbaum of Mr. Lopez Obrador’s ruling Morena party, who is leading the polls, and her closest opponent, Xochitl Galvez, have said they would focus on renewable energy to boost sustainability.

The National Autonomous University of Mexico forecasts new heat records in some states will lead to “an increase in energy demand, poor air quality, and forest fires.”

Animals suffering from the heat

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that wildlife has been suffering from Mexico’s heatwaves in numbers not seen before. Since mid-May, environmentalists reported that 138 howler monkeys, known for their roaring vocal calls, had been found dead in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco as temperatures climbed. Late on May 26, the Environment Department reported that number had risen to 157 and that research was continuing into the causes of the deaths, AP reported.

Wildlife biologist Gilberto Pozo attributed the deaths to a “synergy” of factors – including high heat, drought, forest fires, and logging that deprives the monkeys of water, shade, and the fruit they eat.

In the northern state of San Luis Potosi, Ena Buenfil, the director of the Selva Teenek eco-park, told The Associated Press on May 27 that her facility has been overwhelmed as parrots, bats, and toucans have died due to the heat. Ms. Buenfil said when the heat wave began in mid-May, their clinic to help animals quickly filled up with sick birds, and they received a wave of reports by locals finding dead or suffering birds. 

Ms. Buenfil said birds mainly die of dehydration in the heat, and are often disproportionately affected because they don’t have anywhere to store water. Meanwhile, bats would become dehydrated sleeping in the beating afternoon heat. She recommended that locals put out bowls of water for animals. 

With below-average rainfall throughout almost all the country so far this year, lakes and dams are drying up, and water supplies are running out. Authorities have had to truck in water for everything from hospitals to fire-fighting teams. Low levels at hydroelectric dams have contributed to power blackouts in some parts of the country. 

This story was reported by Reuters. Additional reporting by Adriana Barrera and Brendan O’Boyle. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.