We've got the power
We heard a lot of phrases repeated at the recent Mexican International Renewable Energy Congress (MIREC), but if we plotted a word cloud of the presentations we attended, the biggest word on it would have to be “tremendous potential” (OK it’s two words but let’s move on). Only slightly smaller on the cloud but still dwarfing the competition would be “great opportunities.” Throughout the general sessions and those specifically dedicated to solar energy topics, these two phrases seemed to embody the feelings not only of government pitchmen but of private sector developers as well. The optimism was palpable – but by the end of the conference many of us came away feeling like a bunch of seagulls standing around a giant clam shell. You know there’s one hell of a clam inside, but the question is, how are we going to get at it? Read the rest of this entry »
On May 20, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto presented his 
Police helicopters are clattering overhead outside our window in Mexico City this morning as the town buzzes with a frenzy of marvel, speculation and no small dose of schadenfreude over the stunning news that union leader Elba Esther Gordillo was arrested on charges of embezzlement to the tune of over US$150 million. The helicopters may just be chasing some bank robber, but it adds to the sensational atmosphere surrounding one of the most eye-popping political hits in decades here.
