Energy Commission Signs Agreement with the Mexican State of Jalisco to Support Clean Energy
California Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the state of Jalisco to cooperate on clean energy policies and programs.
The agreement comes as Jalisco recently announced the creation of the Jalisco Energy Agency. Weisenmiller and Jalisco Governor Aristóteles Sandoval signed the MOU on August 31 at the second annual Climate Summit of the Americas in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The agreement between the Energy Commission and Jalisco will support cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including energy efficiency, renewable energy development and grid integration, low and zero-emission vehicles, and clean energy technology.
“The California Energy Commission has been developing its relationship with Mexico over the last couple of years and this engagement is proving to be very productive,” Weisenmiller said. “The MOU will help to continue to build clean technology bridges between California and Mexico toward a low carbon future.
Since Mexico began energy reforms in 2013, Jalisco has worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition toward low-carbon energy resources. It was among the first 12 founding signatories to the Under 2 MOU, which is a global pact of subnational jurisdictions spearheaded by California and the German state of Baden-Württemberg to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius.
The agreement between the Energy Commission and Jalisco will help reach the objectives of the Under 2 MOU by providing a mechanism for cooperation, information sharing, and technical exchange. The Energy Commission will assist the Jalisco Energy Agency to develop a cohesive strategy and advance clean energy.
California represents only 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but its leadership demonstrates that it is possible to take action to reduce carbon emissions and grow the economy. California has signed several international MOUs as part of its ambitious goals to increase international collaboration on environmental protection and economic development.
In 2014, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and the Mexican Ministry of Energy Secretary Pedro Joaquin Coldwell signed an agreement promoting cooperation between the two governments to implement programs in low-carbon energy, clean technologies, biofuels, and energy efficiency.
