In Puebla, 400 schools still lack electricity, out of a total of 1,200 identified by the state government as lacking access to the grid. These schools will be connected to the grid this year with photovoltaic systems. The schools are located in 112 municipalities across the state, where the government is working to reduce the backlog in basic services.
Héctor Rodolfo Camacho Hernández, director of the Puebla State Energy Agency, stated in an interview that this phase will complete the connection of schools without electricity and will also support schools that pay high electricity bills through parent contributions.
He noted that in 2025, solar panels were installed in 800 public schools, 700 of which were installed by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) and 100 by the Energy Agency. He explained that these schools were prioritized because they completely lacked access to the electrical grid.
He explained that the goal for this year is to reach 1,000 schools with solar systems, thus addressing the energy deficit and beginning to support schools that are already connected but face high electricity bills.
The official indicated that the 400 educational institutions without electricity are distributed across 112 municipalities, including Izúcar de Matamoros and towns in the Sierra Norte region of Puebla. He also mentioned that schools without power have even been found in Amozoc, despite being part of the metropolitan area of the state capital.
He recounted that in mountain communities, physical access to schools is one of the main challenges for delivering solar equipment. He commented that installers from the public-private partnership Tonalli have had to transport large panels on pack animals due to the lack of passable roads.
In addition to the photovoltaic systems, the program includes providing satellite internet, computers, and projectors to the participating schools.
Camacho Hernández explained that they are working with the Starlink satellite network and aiming to transform schools into community connectivity centers. “What we’ve discussed is opening it up to the community so they see it as a place to come and connect,” he said.
The director of the Energy Agency specified that the agency allocated 16 million pesos to equip the 100 schools under its responsibility, out of the 800 served in 2025. He clarified that the total investment for this year is not yet finalized because the cost varies depending on the size of the school, as some require only two panels while others need up to 12.
Camacho Hernández reported that, looking ahead to 2030, the state government’s goal is for between 7,000 and 8,000 secondary schools under its jurisdiction to have solar systems. He believes this will reduce current energy expenses and set an example of a transition to renewable energy sources in the public education sector.
Source: lajornadadeoriente
