Sempra Cancels Vista Pacífico LNG Project in the Gulf of California
Permit denial halts proposed LNG export terminal that threatened whales, fisheries, and communities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Aquarium of the World."
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sempra announced it will not move forward with its proposed Vista Pacífico LNG export terminal in Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico. Per its latest SEC filing, Sempra moved to terminate its agreement with Mexico’s state-owned utility CFE in December. The facility was proposed for the Gulf of California, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Aquarium of the World."
Following is a statement from Joel Reynolds, senior attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"Sempra's cancellation of Vista Pacífico is a major step forward in defense of the iconic Gulf of California from an invasion by the U.S. fossil fuel industry—for the production and transport of LNG to Asia for decades. We congratulate Sempra for hearing and respecting the overwhelming opposition of the people of Mexico, including from the community of Topolobampo, Sinaloa, whose residents, fisheries, and quality of life would inevitably have been most directly threatened by the pollution, elevated health risk, and biodiversity loss from this unwanted industrialization.
"Two additional LNG export terminals, Saguaro Energía and AMIGO LNG, remain proposed for the Gulf. The fight to protect this irreplaceable marine sanctuary is far from over."
Background
NRDC has long urged Sempra to abandon Vista Pacífico, warning the project posed unacceptable risks to the Gulf's marine ecosystems, home to 39 percent of all marine mammal species and eight species of great whales. In 2025, the IUCN World Conservation Congress adopted a resolution opposing LNG industrialization of the Gulf. Scientific research found that LNG carrier traffic would become a leading cause of whale mortality from ship strikes and would exponentially increase underwater noise across the region. NRDC recently released an investor briefing detailing the project's financial and reputational risks.
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).