Mexico's CNE postpones 28 gas station permit applications

The National Energy Commission (CNE) has postponed the review of 28 applications for new gas station permits across various Mexican states. The decision, formalized in Agreement CT/15. SO/32-2026 during the 15th Ordinary Session of the Technical Committee on August 11, 2026, does not specify the reasons for the delay or provide a timeline for resuming the analysis.

The deferred requests involve projects in at least 15 entities, with Chiapas having the highest concentration of four applications. Other states with pending requests include Quintana Roo, Coahuila, Durango, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Mexico City, Aguascalientes, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, and Jalisco. Applicants include both individuals and specialized companies.

Industry sources suggest the regulator's recent pattern of delaying permits may be a strategy to pressure service stations to adhere to a voluntary agreement regarding fuel prices for Magna gasoline and Diesel.