Watts the problem? Energy chiefs say green shift won’t shock you
Energy chiefs have poured cold water on claims that Thailand’s push for more renewable power will leave households with shocking bills, insisting the green move will actually save billions in the long run.
Claims that new power purchase agreements (PPAs) under the government’s 5.2-gigawatt renewable energy scheme would send electricity bills soaring have been firmly rejected by top energy officials.
People’s Party MP Suphachot Chaiyasat sounded the alarm, warning the deals could cost Thai consumers a staggering 100 billion baht more over the next 25 years. He also raised eyebrows over how companies were selected for the scheme, hinting at possible favouritism. Suphachot has called on the government to pull the plug on further PPA signings.
But energy planners say there’s no spark of truth in the claims. Wattanapong Kurovat, Secretary General of the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), said: “Cancelling 67 already signed PPAs and adding 16 more is not feasible.”
He rubbished suggestions that the scheme would hike up electricity rates, pointing instead to its potential to bring them down.
Currently, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand sells power to the national grid at an average of 3.18 baht per kilowatt-hour. But under the renewables scheme, the average cost is a lower 2.7 baht per unit, Bangkok Post reported.
Wattanapong broke it down further: solar energy comes in at 2.18 baht per unit, wind power at 3.10 baht, and solar farms with battery storage clock in at 2.83 baht per unit. That could slash overall electricity generation costs by 4.57 billion baht every year, he said.
He added that the shift to clean energy is crucial for attracting investment, especially from manufacturers keen to cut carbon emissions and dodge the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a looming non-tariff trade barrier.
Still, Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga is treading cautiously. He’s delayed signing the 16 remaining PPAs, mostly wind energy projects, to investigate Suphachot’s allegations. The deals are due to be inked by 2026.
While the political storm brews, energy bosses are standing firm: the future’s bright, the future’s green, and cheaper.
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