Energy Analyst Chuenchom Sangarasri Greacen Is Making Technocrats

It is an area that involves everybody, but only very few understand, let alone are able to communicate it to the less informed. One of the few exceptional people who is able to do this is Chuenchom Sangarasri Greacen, and we Thai consumers as well as the many fighting against large-scale power development projects, have a lot to thank this lady for.

Why? For years, the field of national energy planning has been the exclusive realm of a tightly knitted group of technocrats. The majority of the Thai public simply accepts whatever figures and interpretations cited to them in the justifications for ever-rising electricity bills, the construction of huge power plants, the importation of more and more electricity from our neighbours, the privatisation of state enterprises in charge of energy supply, and last but not least, the introduction of nuclear energy. Due to a lack of information in such technically loaded terrain, most Thais feel the experts must be right, that their forecasts of the country's future demands for electricity must be unquestionably prophetic and in line with national interests.

But thanks to Chuenchom's quiet dedication, number crunching and critical reassessments of models presented by those in the corridors of power, an alternative picture of energy emerges. Perhaps, the energy analyst argues boldly, we might not have needed as many as 34 power plants than stipulated in the original Power Development Plan, or PDP, (2007 to 2021) had there been more transparency in the policy boardroom and more efficiency in energy management. (the total sum has later been scaled back in the PDP's revised version approved early this year) And why should nuclear reactors be a constant must-have in every scenario postulated in the PDP _ regardless of forecasts of economic growth? Who has actually benefited from the historic two-minute sell-out of Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) stocks during the Thaksin regime? Who might have reaped another windfall had a similar scheme to privatise the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) not been halted by the Administrative Court (due in large parts to Chuenchom's well-researched analyses submitted as counter-evidence to the court)? Shall we, as Thai taxpayers, have to endure the reckless planning by energy czars that resulted in excessive power supply well beyond the standards of developed countries? (As of last year, the reserve margin was 29 percent, compared to the official target of 15 percent.)

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-- Bangkok Post 23/07/09http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/leisurescoop/20789/power-to-the-people