California is looking across the Southern Border to help advance clean energy and climate goals. The California Energy Commission (CEC) and the bordering Mexican state of Sonora have signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that commits to working together on clean energy development, supply chain resilience and expanded access to renewable resources.
Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed Sonora Gov. Alfonso Durazo Montaño for a bilateral meeting before formalizing the partnership, which builds on previous discussions held in Mexico City and Sacramento in 2023. The voluntary, nonbinding agreement will leverage both regions’ expertise and resources to tackle shared environmental challenges.
“Despite the border that divides us, California and Sonora share the common challenge of adapting to a hotter, drier world,” Gov. Newsom said during the signing ceremony. “But we also share a common drive to advance real solutions. Today’s partnership brings our states together to clean the air and expand access to more clean energy.”
The agreement reflects a growing trend of subnational diplomacy, where states and provinces take action independently of national governments. The trend has been especially prevalent for climate treaties like the 2015 Paris Agreement, which the U.S. has now withdrawn from twice. The effects of climate change do not respect national boundaries, and the subnational partnership offers another pathway toward regional cooperation in the face of growing threats.
Both regions face prolonged droughts, rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events like wildfires and storms. By pooling resources and expertise, the two states intend to accelerate their transition to clean energy while also building economic resilience. The MOU outlines seven specific areas of cooperation: renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric system reliability and markets, electric mobility, clean and renewable hydrogen, supply chain development and supporting research and development. Both parties have committed to creating a detailed action plan to implement these objectives.
The partnership is particularly significant given Sonora’s abundant solar resources and California’s ambitious clean energy goals. The Mexican state is home to vast desert areas with some of the highest solar radiation levels in North America, making it an ideal location for renewable energy development. Sonora has developed a sustainable energy plan with Mexico’s federal government to position itself as a leader in clean energy development.
This latest agreement adds to California’s extensive network of climate partnerships that span the globe. Last month, the state formalized a similar partnership with a consortium of 21 Brazilian states. In 2023, Gov. Newsom led a delegation to China, resulting in five separate MOUs with various Chinese governmental bodies and a groundbreaking declaration on climate cooperation.
Several specific activities are planned under the agreement, including meetings with the California Independent System Operator that runs the electric grid to help Sonora explore exporting renewable energy to the U.S. and sessions with the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development on supply chain development. The MOU also promotes university research collaborations and the establishment of a binational research and development center for the electromobility industry.
Implementation of the MOU will begin immediately, with both parties committed to a four-year time frame unless renewed or extended. While the agreement is a voluntary initiative without legally binding obligations, it has potential to spur opportunities for clean energy development in California and Sonora.
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UC Davis College of Engineering via Wikimedia Commons
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