- CFE losses $2.5 billion in the first half of 2021
- Up to 70% energy lost due to technical and non-technical losses
According to company data, Mexico state-owned electricity distribution utility company Commission Federal de Electricidad (CFE) lost more than $2.5 billion in the first half of 2021. The company lost about 70% of its energy due to technical and non-technical losses on its distribution network. In addition, the company stated that the increase in energy theft, meter tampering resulted in high financial losses.
The utility lost 19.3GWh of electricity to non-technical losses, including faulty measurement equipment and administrative errors. On the other hand, technical losses amounted to 17.3GWh, bringing the total energy lost in the first half of 2021 to 36.6GWh. According to CFE data, energy theft is the largest contributing factor to overall losses in the distribution network.
The CFE has begun efforts to clamp down on critical distribution zones to reduce its distribution losses. The government had argued losses were higher in 2021 than the previous year due to the pandemic restrictions in the country, which helped contain the movement and activities of the electricity vandals.