FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
Mexicanofficialtoexplainliberalizationofhiscountry’senergypoliciesduringUHLClecture
Undersecretaryofelectricitywilloutlineissuesandchallengesasenergysectoropenstoprivate
investment.
April13,2016–AspartofaUniversityofHoustonLawCenterlectureseries,Dr.CésarEmiliano
HernándezOchoa,undersecretaryofelectricityoftheMexicanMinistryofEnergy,willdiscuss
“ElectricReforminMexico:Objectives,DesignandOutcomes.”Hispresentation,tobeheld
April19,isthelastinanannualspringlectureserieshostedbytheEnergy,Environment&
NaturalResourcesCenter(EENR).HernándezOchoa’stalkisco-sponsoredbytheCenterfor
U.S.andMexicanLawatUHLC.
“TheUniversityofHoustonLawCenterhashadalong-standingcommitmentandfocuswith
respecttoMexicoaswebelievethattheinterconnectednessofthelegalsystemsofourtwo
countriesisstrongandbecomingevenmoreintertwined,”saidAssociateProfessorBretWells,
EENRdirector.“Weareexcitedtohaveimportantpolicy-makersfromMexicocometoour
schooltospeakonenergyreforms.”
TheMexicanwholesaleelectricitymarketbecameoperationalonJan,27,andthenew
regulation,transactionsandindustrialpracticesarestilldeveloping.Thenewregimeinvolvesa
liberalizationoftheelectricitysectorwhichrequiresagreaterrelianceonmarketsto
coordinatepowerdemandandsupplyaswellasincorporateenvironmentalobjectives.
HernándezOchoawillpresentanoverviewoftheseissuesanddiscussthechallengesaheadto
implementhismajorenergypolicyinitiative.
“SinceMexico’senergyreformswereannouncedinlate2013,signalingMexico’sopeningofthe
countrytoforeigninvestmentintheenergysector,muchoftheattentionbyU.S.andforeign
companieshasfocusedonMexico’soilandgasindustry,”saidUHLCProfessorEmeritus
StephenZamora,directoroftheCenterforU.S.andMexicanLaw.
“Mexico’selectricitysector,whichalsohadbeenvirtuallyclosedtoforeignbusinessesbefore
thereforms,isofpotentiallygreaterimportanceovertime,astheU.S.,CanadianandMexican
electricitysectorsbecomemoreintegrated.ThisintegrationcangivetheNorthAmerican
countriesagreatadvantageasacompetitiveworldeconomy.”
HernándezOchoawasappointedtohiscurrentpositionbyPresidentEnriquePeñaNietoon
Feb.5,2014.HepreviouslyservedasheadofthelegalaffairsunitoftheMinistryofEnergyand
hasservedinanumberofgovernmentpositions.
HernándezOchoaholdsabachelor’sdegreefromtheFacultyofLawoftheNationalAutonomousUniversityofMexico(UNAM),andisaFulbrightandFord-MacArthurscholarshipgrantee.
HefinishedhisgraduatestudiesinFletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacy,andholdsaPh.D.
fromUNAM.
Thepresentationwillbefrom11:45a.m.to12:50p.m.,onTuesday,April19,inroom109BLB
attheUniversityofHoustonLawCenter.AttendeeswillreceiveonehourofCLEcredit.Please
RSVPtoeenr@uh.edu.
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Marketing,713-743-2184,cacriado@central.uh.edu;JohnT.Kling,UHLawCenter
CommunicationsManager,713-743-8298,jtkling@central.uh.edu;ElenaHawthorne,
MultimediaSpecialist,713-743-1125,ehawthor@central.uh.edu;andJohnBrannen,Senior
Writer,713-743-3055,jtbranne@central.uh.edu
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