The Energy Ministry and related agencies were ordered to integrate their investment in power grid and data centre development to reduce duplication.
The National Energy Policy Council chaired by the prime minister approved yesterday establishing a committee whose members are the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), the National Economic and Social Development Council and the State Enterprise Policy Office to supervise the power grid investment and data centre development.
The new committee is chaired by Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow and required to finish the investment plan by 2022.
Kulit Sombatsiri, permanent secretary for energy, said electricity generation has changed from being handled by only one operator, Egat, while MEA and PEA handled investment in power grids.
Now there are many power operators such as independent power producers, small power producers, and providers of rooftop solar, renewable energy and biomass energy.
Egat is required to purchase electricity from those operators.
"Investment in power grids will be changed from one-way to two-way grids to serve a variety of electricity operators, as the government wants to reduce investment duplication among the three state power agencies," said Mr Kulit.
He said the reduction of investment duplication helps reduce power bills.