Electricity availability has become a central obstacle for the development of parques industriales across Mexico, where developers must now assess not only cost but also timing and reliability of supply.
Industrial hubs such as Ciudad Juárez, Tijuana, Monterrey, Guadalajara and the Bajío region are experiencing demand that strains existing high-voltage networks, prompting real-estate firms to look beyond a simple connection request to the national utility.
The issue was examined by Santiago Villagómez, CEO of Energía Real, and Marco Gutiérrez, CEO of Saturnia Energía, during a panel titled “La infraestructura definirá el crecimiento industrial” at the Industrial & Logistics Summit 2026.
According to the speakers, the national portfolio of electric-connection requests totals roughly 135,000 MVA, while the country’s high-voltage transformation capacity stands at about 116,000 MVA.
Villagómez noted that the portfolio includes feasibility studies and capacity upgrades, meaning not every request will become a built project, yet the volume signals mounting pressure on the grid in key industrial markets.
He emphasized that Mexico’s challenge lies more in the infrastructure needed to transport and distribute power than in generation alone, allowing generation capacity to exist nationally while specific zones remain unable to connect new users.
For developers, the certainty of power can dictate whether a park proceeds, when construction starts, and how quickly it can be marketed to tenants.
Developers face timing and cost uncertainty
Gutiérrez explained that industrial customers have shifted their primary concern from price competitiveness to confirming that sufficient capacity exists for their operations.
“Las preguntas son distintas: cuánto me puedo esperar y qué tengo que hacer yo para hacerlo realidad,” he said, highlighting the new focus on realistic supply assessments.
Some parks can only modestly increase their intake, while others cannot secure a new connection within the timelines required for project delivery.
Requirements differ by user type; a logistics warehouse, a three-shift manufacturing plant and a data center each need distinct levels of capacity, continuity and backup.
Facilities that run 24 hours a day especially rely on firm energy and redundancy to avoid production stoppages.
Gutiérrez cited companies that have already invested in machinery but still struggle to obtain the electricity needed to start operations, prompting them to consider on-site generation, backup generators and fuel transport when gas pipelines are unavailable.
Regulatory changes open self-generation options
The 2025 Electric Sector Law now permits isolated and interconnected self-consumption projects, with a streamlined permit process for generators ranging from 0.7 MW to 20 MW.
This framework gives users an alternative when expanding the existing grid is not feasible, though Gutiérrez warned that implementation speed depends on equipment availability, fuel supply and regulatory timelines.
Potential solutions combine natural-gas generators, solar arrays and battery storage, tailored to the demand profile and operating schedule of each tenant.
While the law broadens options, developers must still handle technical specifications, permitting and connection conditions to realize these projects.
Accurately sizing future electricity needs is another hurdle; some projects proceed without accounting for the full load that a fully occupied park might require—often around 40 MW at peak.
Modular designs that allow capacity to be added in stages as tenants arrive can mitigate both financial risk and the chance of under-supply.
Integrating energy planning early, alongside decisions about land, water, road access and other utilities, is becoming a standard part of the development process.
In Monterrey, distribution centers have already raised their electricity consumption to between 12 and 15 kWh per square foot annually, up from the historic range of 2-3 kWh, reflecting the broader trend toward electrified equipment and automation.
Developers expand energy infrastructure as a service
Beyond addressing immediate supply needs, developers are increasingly treating energy infrastructure as an integral component of their projects. Villagómez highlighted that some firms now operate private electrical networks within their industrial parks, managing distribution and supply for multiple tenants. For example, Energía Real collaborates on 12 private networks tied to Vesta’s developments across Mexico, alongside a standalone system in a shopping center in San Luis Potosí. These networks blend purchased grid power with on-site solar and battery storage to optimize reliability and costs.
Rising Electricity Consumption in Existing Distribution Centers
Estimating the total load for a fully occupied park remains a key challenge for developers. Some projects begin construction without accounting for a potential peak demand of around forty megawatts. Providing the full energy infrastructure from the start can require substantial capital, while undersizing limits marketability. Consequently, energy planning now starts alongside site selection, water systems, road access, and other core infrastructure.
Electrification reshapes tenant expectations
The rise in energy-intensive operations is altering what tenants demand from industrial spaces. Automated warehouses, electric forklifts, and data centers now require significantly more power than traditional manufacturing—often exceeding historical consumption benchmarks. Even occupied facilities may need capacity upgrades to accommodate these changes.