Report of January 27, 2015
Prof. Juan Rosellón, researcher at DIW Berlin (Dept. Energy, Transportation, Environment), was recently appointed by the Mexican president to the directing board of the newly created independent Mexican electricity system operator. Mexico has engaged in a fundamental reform of its energy sector, in particular the electricity market. One major focus is the development of a new electricity competitive market design, in addition to opening the generation sector to private investment, as well as transmission networks. Prof. Rosellón, who worked as chief economist of the Mexican energy regulator before his academic career, was recently appointed as an independent academic member of the directing board of the National Energy Control Center (CENACE). CENACE will operate the electricity market, and design the planning of the whole Mexican transmission system (a task comparable to the planning of the four large transmission system operators in Germany). This will be an excellent opportunity for Prof. Rosellón to transfer his internationally renowned research results to practice. DIW Berlin wishes him much success for this activity.
Press release by the Mexican Energy Ministry (SENER), Published on Monday, 29 September 2014 01:10
Energy control center opened
The Secretary of Energy Pedro Joaquín Coldwell formally opened the National Center for Energy Control (Cenace). The Cenace Administration Council, headed by Coldwell, designated Fernando Zendejas Reyes from the energy secretariat (Sener) as secretary of the council and Ernesto Montes Macedo, as deputy secretary of the council. The administration council also instated the electricity undersecretary from Sener, César Emiliano Hernández Ochoa; the revenue undersecretary from the Treasury and Public Finance Secretariat (SHCP) Miguel Messmascher Linartas; the general director of analysis, monitoring and electrical information in Sener, César Alejandro Hernández Alva; and independent advisors Luis Agustín Álvarez Icaza Longoria and Juan de Dios Enrique Rosellón Díaz.
The direction and strategic vision of Cenace will be under the administration council, with at least one-third input by the independent advisors.
On another subject, the General Director of Cenace Eduardo Meraz Ateca presented a report concerning the transfer procedure for the new decentralized organization and its current status. Cenace was created on Aug. 29, and by Sept.1 it had already, announced its contract with the Electric Research Institute (IIE), backed by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), to adapt of the internal market systems and models for operation of the Wholesale Electric Market at the end of 2015, said Meraz Ateca.
While holding separate meetings with the general directors of CFE, Pemex, Enrique Ochoa Reza and Emilo Lozoya Austin, respectively, Hurricane Odile hit Baja California Sur on Sept. 15, causing considerable damage to the electric lines in the region, he said. Responding to the situation, Cenace now operates the National Electric System and attends to emergencies in cooperation with CFE. This will remain clearly established in the operative orders that will be part of the future market rules, said the head of the council. Lastly Meraz Ateca said that the public entity was registered in the Federal Taxpayers Registry (RFC) and the Public Registry of Decentralized Organizations. With the approval of the aforementioned report and the meetings schedules for the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years, the Cenace Administration Council session came to a close.