Against the wind: Resistance, rights, and reckoning in Mexico’s Isthmus

A personal reflection tracing the long-term impact of a 2012 complaint against a major wind farm project, examining both its institutional legacy and its effects on local communities in Mexico’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Twelve years ago, a formal complaint contributed to stopping what would have been Latin America’s largest wind farm in Mexico’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec (“the Isthmus”). The complaint led to new documentation and protocols at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Yet when I arrived in the Isthmus this summer, I discovered something surprising: while everyone had strong opinions about wind farms, almost no one knew about the formal complaint. This investigation explores what that disconnect reveals about accountability in renewable energy development.

The timing of this investigation feels urgent. In February, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum revealed an “energy overhaul” that effectively reopens the country to international investment, fueling expectations that renewable energy projects may restart after years of stagnancy under the Lopez Obrador administration. As communities worldwide file complaints on similar projects through Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs), the lessons from this case could shape how we approach the renewable energy transition ahead.

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