ERC to build power plants in communities lacking in basic needs

By The Nation

 

Samerjai Suksumek

 

The Office of Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand (ERC) is working on a project to supply provide electricity to communities in areas that lack basic infrastructure, expecting the first power plant to become operational in December.

 

ERC president Samerjai Suksumek said the ERC’s community power plant project is progressing on schedule.

 

“ERC is now conducting a survey on electricity usage nationwide,” he said. “We are planning to expand the service network to cover areas that suffer from unstable power supply or not having electricity at all, and to prepare the infrastructure for future demand.”

 

Samerjai further explained that the project will substantially help reduce the construction cost of transmission lines and towers for local power grid. “Furthermore, the project will promote the use of local biomass and biogas fuels as feed stock for power generation, creating additional income for local residents.”

 

According to the ERC president, the preliminary model for the plants will be based on a partnership between existing power plants and the private sector, community enterprises or cooperatives, all of which will assist in expansion plans and fundraising.

 

“As for the areas still lacking funding, ERC will use its energy conservation fund and electricity development fund to partly support the project in the initial phase,” said Samerjai.

 

“We expect to see the first operational community power plant within December. It should be able to support the community’s demand, and still have surplus electricity left for sale.”

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375802

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-04

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I hope, they do not construct new coal fired plants fueled with cheap coal from the Adani mine in Australia.

This country is so far behind the people in these areas are still dreaming of the all night generator and big PX but it's more important to spend millions of dollars on armored vehicles and submarines

2 hours ago, Fred white said:

This country is so far behind the people in these areas are still dreaming of the all night generator and big PX but it's more important to spend millions of dollars on armored vehicles and submarines

I'm glad you realise the government have got their priorities right.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

“ERC is now conducting a survey on electricity usage nationwide,”

Just get the data from EGAT.

It has already updated Thailand's Power Development Plan for 2018-37, being set to develop eight new power plants with a total capacity of 8,300MW. Surely that plan must address electric usage nationwide.

More government boondoggles with pigs at the feeding trough.

Better to promote small-scale and personal clean energy projects in rural areas.

The technology exists and is improving all the time.

In so many cases, governments don't solve problems, they make them worse.