Solar Megaprojects Blocked in Maya Communities After 7-Year Battle

Two massive solar farm projects planned for the jungle of southern Yucatán have been permanently canceled following a seven-year legal battle waged by Maya communities who argued the developments would devastate their land, water supply, and way of life.

The projects — known as Ticul A and Ticul B — were designed to cover more than 600 hectares of tropical forest in the municipalities of Muna, Sacalum, and Ticul, with more than 1.1 million photovoltaic panels, and to feed electricity into the national grid operated by the CFE. A federal appellate court ruled in favor of the communities, and Mexico’s environmental agency formally canceled all permits in April.

The Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, known as Cemda, which provided legal support throughout the case, confirmed last week that the Dirección General de Impacto y Riesgo Ambiental — the federal agency responsible for environmental impact oversight — had issued administrative resolutions officially revoking the environmental impact authorizations and land-use change permits for both solar projects.

A Decade in the Making

The Ticul projects trace back to Mexico’s 2015 long-term clean energy auctions, when the government opened renewable energy contracts to private investment. Vega Solar — a company with French and U.S. ties — won the contract to develop Ticul A and Ticul B across roughly 738 hectares, with a planned investment of US$350 million. The projects were among the largest solar proposals in Latin America at the time.

Plans called for clearing 603 hectares of selva media — mid-canopy tropical forest — to make room for the panels. The electricity generated, approximately 500 megawatt-hours, was intended for sale to the CFE through a dedicated transmission line connected to the Ticul II substation.

But communities in San José Tipcéh and Planchac, both Maya-speaking villages near the project site, were not on board. Residents who depended on small-scale farming and beekeeping said they had never been properly consulted and feared the consequences of large-scale deforestation on their water, their crops, and their culture. In 2019, they filed suit.

What Was at Stake for Solar

Cemda argued in court that the environmental review process had been improperly divided — with Ticul A and Ticul B assessed separately — allowing regulators to understate the combined damage both projects would cause.

Among the harms identified: fragmentation of the forest ecosystem, threats to protected plant and animal species, disruption to bee and bat pollination, reduced groundwater recharge into Yucatán’s karst aquifer, increased local temperatures, and greater vulnerability to hurricane damage. Residents also raised concerns about restricted access to communal lands and the erosion of cultural heritage.

For the communities, the case was not simply about blocking one project. As Yucatán Magazine has reported, conflicts over solar and wind development on indigenous land in the state go back nearly a decade, with residents repeatedly arguing that developers failed to seek meaningful consent before proceeding.

A Long Road to a Final Ruling

The litigation moved in stages. A federal court halted construction in 2022 while the case proceeded. In 2023, an appellate tribunal granted a definitive suspension of the project permits. In November 2025, that same tribunal issued a final ruling protecting the communities and ordering environmental authorities to void all authorizations — for construction, operation, and the 40-year concession period attached to both projects.

The formal administrative cancellation came April 14, 2026, when the environmental directorate notified the parties that the permits had been officially revoked.

Cemda called the outcome a vindication of the communities’ right to a healthy environment and to control over their own territory. The organization said the case should serve as a model for how Mexico — and private developers — approach the clean energy transition going forward, requiring meaningful community participation before projects are approved, not after.

Fast Facts

• Ticul A and Ticul B were planned for the municipalities of Muna, Sacalum, and Ticul in southern Yucatán
• Developer Vega Solar planned to invest approximately US$350 million in the two projects
• The projects would have installed more than 1.1 million solar panels across 738 hectares
• 603 of those hectares were classified as selva media, or mid-canopy tropical forest
• Communities in San José Tipcéh and Planchac filed their legal challenge in 2019
• A final court ruling was issued in November 2025; permits were formally revoked April 14, 2026
• The legal effort was supported by Cemda, the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental
• Cemda says the ruling sets a national precedent for indigenous community rights in energy development

Sources: Diario de Yucatán, Cemda, Energía a Debate