Energy Needs in Mexico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Energy Needs in Mexico - Research Paper Example In other words, energy is the capability of doing work, spawning heat, and discharging luminosity or emission. On the other hand, power is the energy spent over a given period, say, per unit time. The two are interrelated and one cannot do minus the other. So far, there are over six elementary sources of energy, which include nuclear, thermal and electromagnetic energy. Other forms of energy include electricity, mechanical and chemical energies. Different countries use different forms of energy or a combination of many forms of energy. In Mexico, the government of Mexico struggles to meet the energy needs of the country by using a combination of different forms of energy. Notably, coal and fossil fuels are the dominant sources of energy in Mexico. Perhaps due to their abundance within and without Mexico, fossil fuels are the most common source of energy not only in Mexico, but also in other countries. However, with the warning of fossil fuels getting scarce and their adverse effects of combustion, various countries just like Mexico are busy adopting new forms of energy (Buen & Isabel, 2006, pp. 1-3). The Mexican constitution gives the state the mandate to generate, transmit, and distribute different forms of energy to the citizenry.... For instance, the generation of electricity in Mexico depends on 75 percent of thermal sources, 19 percent from water generation (hydropower). Other sources accounting 2 percent include biomass, solar and wind. Recently, the government embarked on plan to increase its energy figures by 14.8 GW by 2015 using other sources of energy such as renewable sources. This research paper addresses the energy needs in Mexico, the challenges facing its energy sector, and the implication on the economy (Auer, 2001, pp. 1-7). 1.1 Statement of the problem Although there are abundance reserves of both natural gas and petroleum in Mexico, the problem of energy insufficiency persists in a country that is trying so hard to set its path towards positive economic growth figures. The ever-growing economic demands in the country are slowly but surely outpacing the ability of Mexico to produce additional energy. To make matters worse, the poor infrastructure in the exploitation of these two fundamental sourc es of energy has made the country loose millions of dollars due to the flaring up of natural gas. Additionally, the government has been on the receiving end for not investing enough in the energy sector thus, affecting the exploration and production of these basic sources of energy. Inadequate investment from the private sector is also another impediment facing the energy sector in Mexico. The lack of storage facilities for refined oil is also another challenge facing Mexico, as this forces the government and other energy sector players to import at least 25 percent of gasoline. Major infrastructure projects happening in the energy sector in Mexico have almost come to a standstill due to budgetary constraints. For