Mexico's Centro Nacional de Control de Energia (Cenace) indefinitely stopped all operations and critical tests for clean-energy projects amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in the nation. 

Cenace, or the National Energy Control Center, is a public body assigned to oversee the operational control of the National Electric System as well as the operation of the Wholesale electricity market. 

As an independent system operator, they are responsible for performing functions to sustain the quality, safety, and reliability of the electrical system. They are also responsible for authorizing and modernizing projects that will help develop the national power grid. 

According to Cenace, all preoperative tests of power plants are suspended. Measures put in place to increase the reliability of the country's electrical system have also ceased operations. Tests that have yet to be performed will also be postponed. 

The new measures caused many critics to worry. They said the agency did not mention older non-renewable plants operated by the Comision Federal de Electricidad, another state-owned utility company. They believe the move will hurt renewable producers. 

Clean-energy producers may file a case before regulators as the new guidelines may displace competition. Eduardo Perez Motta, former head of Mexico's antitrust regulator, said the recent changes creates enormous uncertainty for the operators, citing the state-run utility companies can cut off power distribution at any time. 

Credits

Tensions between the clean-energy industry and the current administration, led by leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, came to a peak following the Energy Ministry's announcement to grant old, government-run plant credits. 

The decision, which was announced in December 2019, would have opened new developments to old, state-run plants. 

However, a judge granted a full suspension of the rule change, saying the credits would have damaged incentives for renewable projects and clean-energy producers. 

The Mexican federal court initially suspended the rule change for Zuma Energia subsidiary Santa Maria in late November, but later on, changed to ruling to apply to all utility companies across Mexico. 

Critics and clean-energy producers said they should also have access to the benefits and incentives. 

The ruling is a blow for President Lopez Obrador's plans to support and modernize state utility companies. 

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The current administration is focused on modernizing CFE's existing electrical plants instead of focusing on renewables. They also plan to build a new coal plant. Other CFE-run hydroelectric plants now qualified for clean-energy credits.

The head of the CFE denounced the reliability of wind and solar energy. He claims the renewable power options are incredibly unreliable and expensive. He said both options would force the government to buy electricity instead of generating it. 

AMLO's energy policies are designed to create energy security by using plants from an earlier time, which means self-sufficient and renewable power is outside of the mainstream. His policies, however, could hold Mexico back from creating a more sustainable and modern energy system that could lower prices for consumers and emit fewer greenhouse gases that contribute to devastating environmental damages.