Mexico's electricity sector underwent a significant transformation with the 2025 Ley del Sector Eléctrico (LSE) and its accompanying Reglamento (RLSE). These regulatory changes created a new path for industrial consumers to generate and supply their own electricity through what is known as autoconsumo — self-supply. This guide explains the legal framework, key advantages, and practical structure for implementing self-supply projects in Mexico's industrial parks.
What is Autoconsumo?
Autoconsumo, or self-supply, refers to the generation and consumption of electrical energy at the same location or within a defined private network. Under the new regulatory framework, industrial consumers—including manufacturing facilities, parks, and large commercial operations—can now legally build their own energy infrastructure to meet their power needs.
This is fundamentally different from the previous modelo de autoabastecimiento (self-supply model) in that it allows for greater flexibility in project structure, reduces permitting burden, and creates clear pathways for multiple unrelated consumers to share infrastructure within industrial parks.
The Legal Framework
The 2025 regulatory reforms introduced several key articles that enable autoconsumo projects. Understanding these foundational laws is critical for any industrial park developer or tenant planning energy infrastructure.
Article 51, RLSE: Multiple Unrelated Consumers
One of the most significant changes for industrial parks is Article 51 of the RLSE, which explicitly allows multiple unrelated consumers to participate in a single autoconsumo project. Previously, self-supply schemes were limited to a single consumer or closely affiliated entities. This change enables industrial parks to pool resources and investments, sharing generation infrastructure across many independent tenants.
Article 59, LSE: Private Networks
Article 59 of the LSE officially recognizes the right of autoconsumo participants to build and operate private electricity networks (redes privadas). These networks distribute electricity within the industrial park or facility without requiring a public concession or CFE permission for internal distribution.
This legal recognition is transformative: it means park developers can invest in private MV (medium voltage) and HV (high voltage) distribution infrastructure to supply tenants directly, bypassing CFE's distribution network entirely for intra-park connections.
Articles 61, LSE and 54, RLSE: Simplified Permitting
Article 61 of the LSE states that autoconsumo generators do not require a supply permit (permiso de suministro) from the government. This eliminates a major bureaucratic barrier that previously blocked many self-supply projects.
Article 54 of the RLSE further streamlines the process by establishing a simplified permitting regime for autoconsumo projects under 20 MW. These projects can be approved faster and with less documentation than large generation permits, making smaller park investments more feasible.
Key takeaway: The 2025 regulatory framework removes major legal and administrative barriers to self-supply projects. Industrial parks can now build shared energy infrastructure, distribute it to multiple tenants, and obtain necessary permits in a streamlined fashion.
Key Advantages for Industrial Parks
1. Energy Independence
By building autoconsumo infrastructure, industrial parks reduce dependence on CFE's aging distribution network. Parks can guarantee power supply to tenants even during grid disruptions, a critical advantage in attracting manufacturing and nearshoring operations.
2. Cost Savings
Autoconsumo projects can leverage cheaper generation sources—particularly solar combined with battery storage (BESS) or efficient natural gas generation—to reduce per-MW costs compared to retail CFE rates. These savings can be passed to tenants as a competitive advantage.
3. Tenant Attraction and Retention
Manufacturers increasingly demand reliable, affordable, and sustainable power. Parks offering self-supply infrastructure become magnets for nearshoring and high-value-added manufacturing, especially in energy-intensive industries. This competitive advantage directly drives park occupancy and lease values.
4. Decarbonization Path
Autoconsumo enables parks to build clean generation (solar, wind) with storage, meeting sustainability goals and potentially qualifying for ESG financing and certifications. This opens new revenue streams and makes the park attractive to multinational corporations with carbon reduction mandates.
Typical Autoconsumo Project Structure
A modern autoconsumo project in an industrial park typically follows this architecture:
- Generation: A mix of on-site resources—natural gas generators, solar arrays, or both—sized to meet park-wide demand plus reserves for growth.
- Energy Storage (BESS): Battery energy storage systems to buffer intermittent solar generation and provide short-term backup during peak demand.
- Private MV/HV Distribution: Private medium- and high-voltage networks owned and operated by the park or a designated operator, delivering power to substations serving each tenant.
- Energy Management System (EMS): A sophisticated control system that balances generation, storage, and demand in real time, optimizing for cost, reliability, and sustainability.
- Grid Connection: A single interconnection point between the park and CFE's transmission network, reducing CFE infrastructure requirements and simplifying coordination.
How Autoconsumo Differs from the Old Model
The previous modelo de autoabastecimiento was tightly restricted:
- Required a single consumer or tightly affiliated group of related companies
- Prohibited "third-party" sales or distribution to unrelated entities
- Demanded full documentation and government approval before construction
- Limited to specific generation technologies with restrictive interconnection rules
The new autoconsumo framework eliminates these constraints. Article 51 explicitly permits multiple unrelated consumers. Simplified permitting (Article 54) accelerates approvals. Private network recognition (Article 59) enables park infrastructure development. And the lack of a supply permit requirement (Article 61) removes regulatory red tape.
Regulatory References
This guide is based on the following official documents:
- Ley del Sector Eléctrico (LSE), published in Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) 18 March 2025
- Reglamento de la Ley del Sector Eléctrico (RLSE), published in DOF 3 October 2025
- Disposiciones Administrativas de Carácter General (DACG) para Autoconsumo, published in DOF 12 December 2025
For industrial park developers and manufacturing tenants facing capacity constraints, autoconsumo under Mexico's 2025 legal framework offers a practical, proven path to energy independence. The regulatory clarity, streamlined permitting, and explicit allowance for shared infrastructure make this the ideal time to plan and build private energy solutions.