Authorities have started drafting a new version of the power development plan (PDP), focusing on the nation’s long-term power supply management amid a surge in solar power, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).
The issue is being discussed by energy officials who plan to introduce the PDP in 2026, said Wattanapong Kurovat, director-general of Eppo.
Thai power producers in the independent electricity supply category have increased, especially businesses developing solar power generation facilities for their own usage.
Solar power gained popularity as electricity bills soared and the prices of solar panels decline.
The proportion of solar power in the country’s total electricity supply sharply increased to more than 2 gigawatts last year, up from a few kilowatts from 2015-2018.
This makes it difficult for energy officials to calculate a steady supply of electricity via the grid when solar power generation capacity drops as sunlight vanishes on cloudy days, said Mr Wattanapong.
Thailand needs back-up power systems to support more uses of solar power, which is an intermittent source of energy, he said.
Another issue is solar power generation facilities coming to the end of their service in the future, which requires back-up electricity systems to be well-managed or else Thailand could face economic damage, said Mr Wattanapong.
Thailand wants to avoid the widespread blackouts that occurred in parts of Spain and Portugal earlier this year, believed to result from a failure to ensure a steady supply of electricity as Spain depends greatly on renewable energy sources.
Another issue for the draft is Thailand’s economic growth outlook, he said.
The National Economic and Social Development Board asked energy authorities to revise electricity demand forecasts due to modest economic growth projections. Electricity consumption has stagnated despite electric vehicle usage and investment in data centres.
In another development, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) expects the power tariff, which is used to calculate electricity bills, to remain unchanged at 3.94 baht per kilowatt-hour during the first four months of next year. The prices of imported liquified natural gas, a key fuel for power generation in Thailand, should not significantly fluctuate despite greater gas demand in the winter, noted the ERC.