Hi, I am Caroline Doyle, an associate editor at Horizon Engage. This week, we’re covering leadership changes and challenges:
- Mexican President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum selected the next leader of the Federal Electricity Commission.
- Cote d’Ivoire’s political opposition is starting to form alliances ahead of the 2025 presidential election, though we doubt Ouattara feels much of a threat.
- The state-owned Indian Oil Corporation Ltd canceled a tender to build a green hydrogen plant for the second time.
This week’s Quote of the Week is from Kamala Harris, and it might sound familiar … read more below!
Sheinbaum Picks Her Energy Enforcer
This week, Mexico’s president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, appointed Emilia Calleja as the next CEO of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). Calleja, currently the general director of the CFE’s power generation unit, will be the first woman to lead the organization.
Calleja is a technocratic hire, bringing two decades of experience with the CFE to her new role. She will execute Sheinbaum’s energy policy and has already expressed her commitment to increasing electricity generation and advancing the energy transition. Her appointment reflects Sheinbaum’s need to continue AMLO’s policy of bolstering state-owned energy companies while prioritizing the energy transition.
Cote d’Ivoire’s Opposition Form Alliances
With the 2025 election in their sights, Cote d’Ivoire’s political opposition has begun to form alliances. Last week, the GPS agreed to unify with the PPA-CI. The GPS’s leader, former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, said he was open to collaborating with former President Laurent Gbagbo, who heads the PPA-CI.
However, both have large egos; it is unclear if one would be willing to step aside and allow the other to lead the ticket. Plus, both men are currently disqualified from running due to their previous convictions.
All that said, President Ouattara has made considerable improvements in Cote d’Ivoire during his 15 years in office. He is incredibly popular — even if the opposition can sort out an eligible ticket before the election, they’re unlikely to beat him.
IOCL Cancels Green Hydrogen Tender — Again
The state-owned Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) canceled a tender to build a green hydrogen plant in Haryana for the second time. The first time, the IOCL was sued for allegedly favoring GH4India (of which it owns one-third) over the only other bidder, Neometrix Engineering. GH4India and Neometrix Engineering were again the only two bidders for the second tender, leading to its cancellation. Strict eligibility requirements allegedly put off other bidders.
There’s a lot riding on this: It’s India’s first attempt to use bidding to determine the cost of green hydrogen. The IOCL will take some reputational damage, already facing a court case after allegations of anti-competitive behavior. We doubt it will put out a third tender until confident it can attract more bidders. Luckily for India’s green hydrogen efforts, the state-owned Gas Authority of India Ltd. successfully commissioned a plant in May.
Quote of the Week
This week’s Quote of the Week is from Kamala Harris:
“But I’m speaking now. I am speaking now.”
Sound familiar? It’s what she repeatedly said to Mike Pence in the 2020 vice presidential debate (yes, the one with the fly). However, this quote is from her rally in Detroit last week, where she responded to pro-Palestinian chants from the crowd.
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