Wind Energy Development in Mexico - A case study of the potential for local socio-economic benefits in Mareña

Sammanfattning: In the State of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico exist abundant natural resource and excellent wind conditions. Currently in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca has an extensive area with wind farm projects due to their excellent wind speed conditions. A large wind energy plant – the Project Mareña Renovables that since their origins started in 2004 with Preneal Company. It was planned to be the largest wind power installation in all of Latin America with a capacity of 396 MW. The project was stopped due to resistance from the community. This thesis develops suggestions for how to deal with social problems for wind energy projects in Isthmus of Tehuantepec. These recommendations may be useful to assist future projects of wind energy in other regions with similar social and political contexts. The focus on wind energy and the project in Mareña is because it was an interesting example of how contextual factors can hinder development of renewable energy. Therefore, the author of this thesis has adopted a multi-aspect framework for analyzing the experiences of the Mareña project. In general the PESTLE framework is used in this thesis to outline and develop causal explanations to the political (P), the economic (E), social (S), technical or technological (T), legal (L), and environmental (E) challenges that constrain the development of wind energy projects in Oaxaca, Mexico. Based on the literature review conducted for this research, the author has build by adding sub-categories of specific factors related to each PESTLE-aspects. The aim of this research is to explore what caused the halt of the Project Mareña, which structural factors limited the establishment and what future development may learn from this example in order to be more successful. Based on the PESTEL analysis was possible to draw some conclusions about how experience with the Mareña project can inform the future planning and implementation of wind energy projects in Mexico. In particular the analysis presents a number of issues that the Mexican government needs to manage to ensure the success of these projects. In particular, attention needs to be paid to the political, economic and social stability of the country or the region where the project is being implemented; the achievability of the county’s ambitious targets set for renewable energy deployment; and potential need for institutional changes to better encourage future wind energy projects.