by Alexander Manda

    MEXICO CITY, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Energy officials from China and Mexico had much to discuss and learn from each other, Dr. Aldo Flores Quiroga, Mexico's deputy energy secretary for international affairs, told Xinhua in an interview Wednesday.

    Flores said there were great cooperation opportunities for China and Mexico. He emphasized both countries' common concern about climate change and renewable energy.

    The interview was conducted ahead of the Global Renewable Energy Forum. The forum is organized by G5 countries, namely Brazil, India, China, Mexico and South Africa, and will be held on Oct. 7-9 in Leon, a city in the central Mexican state Guanajuato.

    According to Flores, Mexican and Chinese officials would discuss energy issues at the forum. The Mexican side would provide interesting examples of renewable energy projects, including channeling methane gas generated by rotting organic waste in a landfill to an electricity plant that powers a city metro in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey.

    Flores said great efforts had also been made by the Mexican government to generate electricity without hydrocarbons.

    He added that Mexico was seeking to generate power from wind in the southern Mexican states of Tehuantepec and Baja California, which are swept by Pacific Ocean air currents that have had no obstacles for thousands of miles before reaching Mexico.

    Mexico was also working on a pilot bio-fuel program that would supply ethanol from sugar cane to the three biggest fuel-consuming cities, Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara, a city in central Mexico, by 2010.

    "This is part of a test phase to try and find out consumers' needs better," Flores explained.

    In addition, he said the government had been promoting research and energy saving by other low-profile means. The National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT) had been allotted funds ring fenced for researchers in the field. Meanwhile, the National Workers' Housing Fund Institute had been awarding so-called "green mortgages" which offer better terms for homes that reduce energy use.

    According to the secretary, Mexican President Felipe Calderon was quite concerned about the environment and climate change and was actively promoting a proposal called the Green Fund. Under the supervision of the World Bank, the fund aims to collect 10 billion dollars from both rich and poor nations.

    "Across all sectors (nationwide), you will see not only legislation, but concrete measures," Flores said.