Thailand’s cleaner grid is within reach
The draft PDP2024 outlines the country's power for the next two decades. Here are five key takeaways that policymakers and energy planners should seriously consider.
Unlocking Asean’s grid for green growth
Thailand is taking a significant step towards renewable energy, targeting half of its electricity generation from renewable sources by 2037 under the recently drafted Power Development Plan 2024 (PDP2024). However, achieving this goal is dependent on the Asean Power Grid, a region-wide initiative first proposed in 1997 to interconnect the electricity infrastructures of Asean member […]
Sun-powered schools are a smart move
Thailand’s rising electricity costs are not just a concern for businesses; they are placing a financial burden on schools. In 2023, a local business daily, Bangkok Biz, reported that many schools were struggling with high electricity liabilities. For example, Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, located on the Salaya Campus of Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom province, faces […]
Can new bonds mitigate disaster losses?
Last year turned out to be one of the most expensive on record in terms of insurance payments resulting from natural disasters. In 2024, financial claims made to insurance companies reached copy40 billion, the third most expensive year for insurers in the last four decades, according to Munich Re’s report, titled “Climate change is showing […]
Farms and solar energy can co-exist
At first glance, the idea of combining agriculture with solar energy seems far-fetched. How can crops and solar panels compete for the same sunlight? My view changed after I visited the Sosa Mega Solar Sharing site in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, last month. As part of a media tour organised by Mekong Watch, a Japanese non-profit […]
Do carbon credits make a difference?
At COP29 in Baku, carbon credits ignited intense debate from the very start. While Azerbaijan, the host nation, celebrated progress on Article 6, climate justice groups criticised carbon markets for enabling major polluters to continue emitting greenhouse gases. A carbon credit represents the right to emit one metric tonne of CO2 equivalent or an equivalent […]
Unplugging the electricity monopoly
hailand's electricity prices remain stubbornly high, burdening consumers and businesses alike. The current and former governments have tried to tackle this problem without much luck. Subsidies are a short-term tonic, but they have created new financial burdens. It is about time to ask what makes electricity costs so high and what needs to be changed at a fundamental level.
Climate risks threaten Thai economy
Last month, our Climate Finance Network Thailand (CFNT) network hosted a webinar titled “Time to Act: Looming Climate Impacts on Thailand’s Financial Sector”. Our highlight was our guest, Dr Kannika Thampanishvong, section head at the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research, who told us about how finance professionals view climate change and how economists prepare to deal […]
When climate commitments fall short
By early next year, Thailand and other countries are expected to update national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). The Paris Agreement mandates that nations submit new NDCs every five years, with each round more ambitious than the last. These NDCs are essential for countries to collectively tackle the […]
Missed energy transition opportunity
I recently reviewed the draft Power Development Plan (PDP2024), outlining Thailand’s power development roadmap from 2024 to 2037. This draft, which was put for a public hearing process during June 12–19, left me disappointed. The lower-than-expected economic growth, high energy surplus, fluctuating electricity costs due to gas price volatility and a more ambitious net-zero target […]