BELIZE · ELECTRICITY
Belize’s Minister of Public Utilities, Michel Chebat, said Mexico will keep supplying his country with electricity. He spoke after meeting Emilia Esther Calleja Alor, head of CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad), Mexico’s state power company.
For travellers, expatriates and US readers with property or tourism plans in Belize, steady power is a basic comfort. It is also a matter of money, because Belize Electricity Limited (BEL, the main power distributor) owes CFE for past supplies.
Key Facts
- Who Belize’s Minister of Public Utilities, Michel Chebat, said he met the head of CFE, Mexico’s state power company.
- Promise Chebat said Belize gets 55 megawatts (a unit of electricity capacity) from CFE now and that this will continue.
- Debt Lynn Young, executive chairman of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL, the main power distributor), put overdue CFE bills at about BZ$20 million (US$10 million).
- Next Chebat said a technical group is being set up to keep both sides talking.
- Unknown Contract price, length and the payment terms were not disclosed.
Belize’s utilities minister says Mexico’s CFE will keep sending 55 megawatts, while the two sides talk about more power and unpaid bills.
What Chebat Said After the Meeting
Chebat said: “we are currently getting 55 megawatts from them, and that will absolutely continue.” He also said he met CFE staff and officials from Mexico’s Energy Ministry.
Chebat said Belize is setting up a technical group so the two utilities can stay in constant conversation. He said CFE is thinking about new generation plants in southern Mexico by 2028.
The Unpaid Bills
On Wednesday 28 October, BEL executive chairman Lynn Young put BEL’s overdue bills to CFE at roughly BZ$20 million (about US$10 million, at the fixed two-to-one Belize dollar peg). Young said BEL had Belize dollars for some bills but struggled to find the US dollars needed to pay CFE.
Chebat said the debt is a separate matter from supply. He said CFE has a payment mechanism for the money, and he did not describe it.
Why It Matters
If Chebat is right, households and businesses in Belize can expect the Mexican power they rely on to keep flowing. A cut would be felt first in homes, hotels and shops.
Mexico is also busy at home, as our earlier report on CFE grid financing shows. For wider context see our guide to Belize’s economy and its key players.
What to Watch Next
The technical group still has to be formed and meet. Talks on a possible increase in supply have opened.
What It Means for You
Visitors should not expect a sudden change in power supply on the strength of these statements alone. Anyone with power-dependent plans in Belize, such as rentals or remote work, should still keep a back-up.
What Is Not Known
No price, contract length or payment schedule has been published. We found no statement from CFE on the meeting.
It is also unclear how much extra power CFE could offer, or when. The statements come from Belize’s side only.
In Plain English
A megawatt is one million watts, a unit of electrical power. Arrears are bills that are overdue.
CFE is Mexico’s state power company. BEL (Belize Electricity Limited) is Belize’s main power distributor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Belize keep getting Mexican electricity?
Minister Michel Chebat said Belize now gets 55 megawatts from CFE and that this will continue. He said the overdue bills have nothing to do with supply.
How much does Belize owe CFE?
Lynn Young, executive chairman of Belize Electricity Limited, put overdue bills at about BZ$20 million (about US$10 million) on Wednesday 28 October. The Belize dollar is fixed at two to one against the US dollar.
Could Belize get more Mexican power?
Chebat said CFE is thinking about new plants in southern Mexico by 2028. No volume or date has been agreed.
Sources: the statements of Belize’s Minister Michel Chebat and BEL’s executive chairman Lynn Young as relayed by the Embassy of Belize in Mexico (primary actors), 10 November 2026.
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