Arcondec editorial · 07 / 10 / 2026

CFE plans 138 lines, 249 substations by 2030

CFE’s investment programme puts numbers on the power grid that data centers depend on.

Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) presented investors with a programme of about US$37.5 billion for 2026-2030, Energía Hoy reported on October 6, 2026. About US$6.9 billion is for transmission: more than 154 projects comprising 138 lines and 249 substations. This is an investment programme; its figures describe planned works, not infrastructure in operation.

Power sets the schedule

The same report notes that the data center industry could require up to 1.73 GW of capacity by 2031, according to the coordination scheme between CFE and the Mexican Data Center Association. For anyone developing a site, authorised capacity and energised capacity are different dates: studies, construction, testing and commissioning lie between them.

Editorial analysis

Which part of the plan concerns data centers

A national transmission programme serves many needs at once: industry, cities and new power plants. The published information does not specify which lines or substations will serve the areas with the highest data center demand, or when they will enter service. The figures are therefore best read as a signal of direction rather than capacity available to a particular project. That answer depends on the studies for each connection request.

On-site electrical works join the critical path

As a planning principle, the site substation, its interconnection line, power transformers and medium-voltage switchgear often have longer lead times than civil works. A phased demand forecast with dates helps to sequence those purchases and the engineering behind them. This is an editorial reading of how a project is organised, not a description of CFE’s requirements.

Which milestones deserve attention

Tracking can focus on verifiable milestones: publication of transmission projects by region, their tenders, construction starts and entry into service. Each answers a different question. For anyone assessing a location, proximity to a substation with available capacity matters as much as the land itself, and that fact changes as the plan is delivered.