Tariff on solar panels removed by federal court

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A federal court has ruled that the 15 percent tariff on solar panel imports must be removed.

The court’s decision came in response to an application from the Mexican Association of Solar Energy, which argued that the tariff created legal uncertainty for solar power investors.

In a statement, the association said it was “happy with the decision as it returns conditions of legal certainty to the sector and guarantees the competitiveness of solar energy in Mexico.”

The tariff was imposed on solar panels after the Federal Tax Administration ruled in 2015 that they must be reclassified as electric generators.

With the ruling, Asolmex (the acronym for the association) expects more solar panels across the country.

Since 2016, 37 large-scale solar projects have been developed and more than 160,000 homes are now powered by solar energy.

If the objective of adding 6,000 additional megawatts to the national grid is achieved, the electricity demands of a further 1.2 million homes could be met.

Among the large-scale solar projects that have recently started are a 40-hectare solar farm in Coahuila and a US$14-million facility near Guadalajara.

Source: Mazatlan Post

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