Tensions between decarbonisation, (neo) extractivism and energy justice: the case of Mexico

PhD Project

Mexico opened its power sector to private investment through long-term electricity auctions and clean energy licences. As a result, places such as Yucatan, located in southeast Mexico, began to experience a rapid arrival of renewable energy megaprojects accompanied by narrative of energy self-sufficiency and green development, and supported by recurring electricity blackouts. Soon, the region experienced an increase in socio-environmental conflicts and resistance to these projects from citizens and indigenous groups.

This project focuses on the socio-ecological impacts of building a solar park in Yucatan. The research is based on nine-month of ethnographic fieldwork and uses theoretical approaches in the fields of anthropology and human geography to explore the intersection of large-scale renewable projects with indigenous epistemologies and energy colonialism.

Infrastructure & Energy