US climate envoy John Kerry visits Mexico amid power clash

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is arriving in Mexico for talks Wednesday amid high tensions over Mexico's plan to favor its state-owned electricity company and limit private and foreign firms that have invested in renewable energy

MEXICO CITY -- U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is arriving in Mexico for talks Wednesday amid high tensions over Mexico’s plan to favor its state-owned electricity company and limit private and foreign firms that have invested in renewable energy.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has vowed to forge ahead with changes to Mexico’s power sector, increasing investment in fossil fuels while limiting private wind, natural gas and solar plants to a minority market share.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico expressed concerns about that on the eve of Kerry's visit.

“The government of the United States has repeatedly expressed concern over Mexico's current proposal for the energy sector,” the embassy said in a statement. “Promoting the use of dirtier, antiquated and expensive technologies over efficient renewable alternatives would put consumers and the economy in general at a disadvantage.”