MEXICO CITY, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her country is exploring ways to boost energy independence and reduce its reliance on the United States.

Speaking at her daily press conference, Sheinbaum said Mexico is relying heavily on "very cheap" natural gas from the United States and should move toward energy independence.

But she cautioned that the import contracts, some of which "last up to 20 years," are binding commitments that cannot be immediately broken.

She added that the state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos has formed a working group coordinated by the Mexican Petroleum Institute to explore less environmentally damaging options "to see how we can strengthen energy self-sufficiency."

Any final decisions will need "to be put to the public's consideration," Sheinbaum said, adding that alternative sources of methane, such as landfills and biomass, are also being studied to diversify national production. Enditem