Politics are preventing Mexico from taking full advantage of natural gas as a means to develop its economy, according to local experts.

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Pipeline imports of the molecule from the United States have risen steadily as new pipelines commissioned by state power company Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) have entered service and Mexican gas production has faltered.

However, CFE has been slow to develop new gas-fired power plants to accompany the new infrastructure partly because of budgetary and financial constraints, according to independent energy analyst Rosanety Barrios.

What’s more, she told NGI’s Mexico GPI, the government has discouraged the development of new power plants by the private sector.

Therefore, “there will be absolutely no private companies...