Thailand's new national energy plan (NEP), outlining the roadmap towards a low-carbon society, is expected to encounter a delay due to the protracted process of forming a new cabinet under the Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office.
Having undergone a public hearing, the NEP was originally set to be finalised by the National Energy Policy Council, led by the premier, in September and should be enforced in October, said Veerapat Kiatfuengfoo, director-general of the office.
But the timeline may need to be changed as the process to select cabinet members must be carried out carefully to prevent problems regarding illegitimate appointments. This could be time-consuming ahead of Ms Paetongtarn delivery of the administration's policy statement in parliament.
The NEP, set to be enforced from 2024 to 2037, comprises a power development plan, an alternative energy development plan, an energy efficiency plan, an oil plan and a gas plan.
Mr Veerapat said the power development plan was primarily set to increase the proportion of renewable power to 51% of total power supply within 2037, but authorities later agreed to adjust the time frame to attain the goal sooner.
The battery energy storage system (BESS), which would be used as backup electricity for such renewable sources as solar and wind, would be promoted and the government would speed up work to support rooftop solar panel installations in order to achieve the proportion target, he said.
BESS is an essential component in supporting the greater use of renewable energy because the sun and wind offer intermittent power supply based on weather patterns.
In the 2018 power development plan, the proportion of renewable power was set at 36%.
Authorities are keen to boost clean energy usage after the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration announced in 2021 at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference that Thailand would be more aggressive in addressing climate change, striving to reach carbon neutrality, a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and absorption, by 2050, along with a net-zero target, a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and absorption, by 2065.