Compulsory Energy Saving Measures May Be Needed

[george]

Compulsory energy saving measures may be needed, says PM

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government may need to introduce compulsory energy saving measures nationwide unless domestic energy consumption drops over the next three months, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra warned here today.

The prime minister told journalists that an initial assessment on domestic energy consumption after the government's latest campaign on energy conservation was launched on 1 June found that energy use across the country had still been high.

"An overall assessment of the energy consumption will be conducted after the campaign is launched for three months, or around September. If we find out that domestic energy consumption does not drop to a satisfactory level, the government may have no other choice, but introduce compulsory energy conservation measures across the country to limit the energy use", he cautioned.

"The measures may include a restriction on oil imports", he noted.

The Thai leader also said that an economic restructuring is now needed to increase the value of Thai products sold on the world market to offset the country's massive oil imports.

Earlier, the prime minister urged the private sector during his special lecture on "Driving Thailand to be More Efficient Economy with Value Creation" at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre here last Friday to join forces with the government in the economic restructuring plan with attempts to add more values to Thai products.

These include processed Thai food through the application of modern technology, he suggested, adding that Thai manufacturing goods would also need to be reclassified into 'economic potential' and 'non economic potential', with export promotion efforts to be focused on the first group.

The attempts to add more values to the Thai products are part of the so-called 'Value Creation', in which Thailand's products and services are widely recognized internationally, supported by the country's bio-diversity and abundant resources with developed marketing and logistic systems, according to Mr. Thaksin.

"The government also plans to inject a budget of Bt20 billion to develop the northern city of Chiang Mai as a regional tourism hub, as part of the 'Value Creation' move", he disclosed.

--TNA 2005-06-20

[terdsak_12]

More bleedin' hubs!!

[Thetyim]

How about "the Hub of asian Oil Consumption"

[frodo]

Why not go after some of the biggest wasters...the Malls. Though I admit it is rather nice getting off a bus, taking a few steps and feeling that cool air blasting away from the inside and cooling down the walk areas. Too much waste of energy coming from these places that love to cool the outdoors on a continious basis.

[mnoorsapl]

"energy conservation was launched on 1 June found that energy use across the country had still been high."

as expected, date line not due yet.

[george]

PM warns: Cut energy use, or else

Cost of imported fuel burdening economy

BANGKOK: -- Compulsory belt-tightening measures will be imposed if people continue to pay only lip service to the voluntary energy-saving campaign without really cutting back on fuel consumption, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra warned yesterday.

The economy was made fragile by its heavy reliance on imported energy, the prime minister said.

The government sought public cooperation in the high-profile campaign, including switching off lights and airconditioners at suggested times and motorists keeping their speed to no more than 90kph.

If at the end of the campaign's three-month trial period in August the nation was still gulping down fuel, compulory measures would kick in to regulate energy consumption.

He hinted at the likelihood of limiting imports of energy and rationing individual use of it. Mr Thaksin said the country was not short of fuel ``although that does not mean we have plenty of it''.

Many people refused to recognise how precious petrol was and continued to use it unsparingly.

``We'll definitely take some mandatory action, if the efforts to get people to economise are taken for granted,'' he said, stressing the necessity to head off the danger of rising fuel costs landing the economy in the dire straits.

The surge in the fuel price had overburdened the country, depleting the Oil Fund, which led the government to suspend state subsidies at the pump. But this was only part of a far more pressing problem. Exports of farm produce barely covered half the cost of fuel imports.

The ramifications on the economy must be curtailed.

Mr Thaksin conceded people's purses would be hit, but any increase in consumer prices must be in strict relation to the actual rise in energy cost. He would not allow profiteering.

``I urge everyone to do their part to help conserve energy. We need to tighten out belts really hard. I think a lot of us are not there yet,'' he said.

The fuel problem would not hurt the country's industrial productivity. He encouraged factories to maintain their level of production but they must do so in a fuel-economical way.

Petrol and diesel prices jumped by 40 satang from 6am today in Bangkok and the surrounding areas. Petrol 95 will retail at 23.74 baht per litre, petrol 91 at 22.94 baht per litre and diesel at 20.19 baht per litre, except at PTT outlets where diesel would cost 19.79 baht a litre.

A source at the Energy Policy and Planning Office said depressed global market sentiment due to the expected downfall in oil production in countries such as Nigeria and the United States pushed up the oil price.

An Energy Ministry source said the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency had approached commercial banks to set up a joint fund to assist the industrial sector in procuring energy-saving machinery. At least four billion baht of would be made available at low interest.

The department would contribute to the loan but how much was subject to further discussion with interested banks including the Government Savings Bank and Krung Thai Bank.

The Land Transport Federation has prepared a five-point demand for the government to ease fuel-aggravated hardships of truck drivers and related businesses.

Thongyoo Kongkan, the federation secretary, said more than 30 representatives of nationwide truck operators agreed yesterday to hand the government their demands and to rally in a ``show of force'' on Thursday at a restaurant in Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya.

About 1,000 trucks would take part in the rally, Mr Thongyoo said.

The decision to cancel diesel subsidy had bitten deep into the pockets of trucking businesses and the drivers.

To offset the impact, the federation wanted the government to freeze the price for at least a year, charge the operators the lowest juristic persons' income tax, and cheap loans with truck registration document as collateral. They wanted a maximum truck weight set without further reprieves, and support for establishment of a land transport council.

--The Post 2005-06-21

[Buff-horns]

they sure will need to cut consumption , with oil passing $60 a barrel and beyond...

instability in Nigeria is the latest problem,

[penzman]

they sure will need to cut consumption , with oil passing $60 a barrel and beyond...

instability in Nigeria is the latest problem,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Problem or excuse?

[planemad]

"The measures may include a restriction on oil imports"

That will almost certainly push up prices even quicker!

[petedk]

"The measures may include a restriction on oil imports", he noted.

Cannot be imported from 9 am to 11 am and from 14.00 to 17.00.

[joe beets]

[chownah]

Maybe they should actually enforce the 90km/hr speed limit.

[haha]

most of the places I go to in the city (bangkok) are within a 3 mile radius, it sure would be nice if there were bike paths on the road so that I can ride a bicycle to my destinations.

I know that there are some parts of the city with bike paths, but there isn't enough of them for the average person to use in order to get from point a to point b.

maybe start a bike day in the city just for trial purposes to see if it would be beneficial. close the city off to passenger cars and taxis for a day. of course, you got to allow delivery trucks and buses to function. reserve one lane for delivery and buses. another for bikes.

provide advance notice to the public so that they can buy bicycles or schedule accordingly.

I don't know how feasible this suggestion is. but I thought it could be something to consider since people are trying to save energy.

bicycles don't use gasoline, and they don't pollute the air.

[Ijustwannateach]

Of course, I'm sure that restricting energy supply won't have ANY negative effect on the economy- nope, dem businesses shore 'nuff don't need so much energy to run!

Sigh... Let the market set the price or suffer the consequences.

"Steven"

[johnRS]

It’s nothing to do with consumption but rather on the lack of revenue to pay for it. Mismanagement of diesel subsidies and driving away tourists due to ‘unfriendly’ attitudes and crazy entertainment operating hours are the real cause.

You don’t here similar hard luck stories from other non oil producing countries that rely upon the tourist dollar.

[dereklev]

"The measures may include a restriction on oil imports", he noted.

Cannot be imported from 9 am to 11 am and from 14.00 to 17.00.

But the rules only apply on some days and in some places!

[george]

Govt steps up voluntary energy saving measures

BANGKOK: -- Thais were urged to save more fuel yesterday when the Ministry of Energy introduced a raft of new voluntary measures aimed at slashing the nation's fuel consumption.

Announced by Mr. Metta Banturngsuk, Director-General of the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), the proposals come amid growing government recognition of the need to introduce compulsory energy saving measures, a move which won official endorsement yesterday from Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Under a voluntary scheme, which will operate until August, radio and television stations, including cable television, will be asked to go off air at 24.00hrs, while golf courses and driving ranges will be asked to switch off unnecessary lighting.

Government offices will only be allowed to use air conditioning from 09.00-16.00hrs, and to ensure that the temperature is set no lower than 25 degrees.

With the hotter office temperatures, civil servants will be told to only wear suits to work on formal occasions.

At the same time, the police will be asked to strictly enforce traffic legislation to prevent speeding.

Special zones will be set up where taxis and tuk-tuks will be banned from travelling without passengers.

One compulsory measure being introduced at this stage will affect car manufacturers who will be ordered to label their products with information on petrol consumption and vehicle weight.

The government hopes to reduce electricity and petrol consumption by 10 percent between June and August this year.

--TNA 2005-06-23

[Jai Dee]

THE ENERGY-SAVING EVALUATION WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam (วิษณุ เครืองาม) has stated that he will postpone the evaluation of energy-saving results to the end of September. Meanwhile, the focus has been shifted to energy-saving in the private sector, due to its greater readiness compared with the state sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu, charged with handling energy-saving in the state sector, said the evaluation of the results will have to be postponed until the end of September this year. Originally, this was to be conducted by the end of August. However, the state sector has not had as much success as the private sector, which had longer working time and efficient electricity-measurement system.

Mr. Wissanu said that by October, he expect there to be 3 additional energy-saving measures. These will include the closure of gas stations between 10 pm and 5 am, discontinuation of expense withdrawals for benzene costs and instead switching to gasohol, and turning off commercial signs starting from 7 pm.

Mr. Wissanu also said that the measures will be emphasized on the private sector, as it had greater readiness, and this should allow the energy-saving drive to meet target.

Source: thaisnews.com

[ovenman]

Mr. Wissanu also said that the measures will be emphasized on the private sector, as it had greater readiness, and this should allow the energy-saving drive to meet target.

Translated from political double-speak, does that mean the government is exempting itself from whatever measures it is foisting upon the population-at-large?

[george]

Govt poised to introduce new energy-saving measures

BANGKOK: -- The government is poised to come up with new energy-saving measures at the end of next month when a three-month period of trial for energy conservation ends, according to Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krue-ngam.

He conceded the energy conservation among state agencies remained not satisfactory in the past two months since some agencies could not fully comply with the energy-saving drive.

For instance, certain agencies of the Foreign Ministry need to operate in non-office hours.

Currently, he said, the energy saving by state agencies appeared rather to be a practice while that by private agencies seemed more clearly workable.

The energy conservation, if fully adopted by the private sector, would affect business transactions.

He said the Energy Ministry would report to the cabinet figures of the result of the three-month trial for energy conservation, which would last until the end of this month.

However, the government would extend the trial period to late next month, which falls to the end of the fiscal year. Then, it would launch new energy-saving measures.

Now, many measures are under the consideration.

Mr. Visanu said the government was considering extending a measure to entitle only state agencies’ cars filled with gasohol to disbursement of oil bills to cover vehicles provided for senior officials.

--TNA 2005-08-23