Thailand: Co-ops seek lucky draw for solar power grid plan

Thailand: Co-ops seek lucky draw for solar power grid plan

Agriculture cooperatives nationwide will submit a petition to Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha Tuesday asking the government to use a lucky draw to
select solar farm projects which will supply electricity to the national
power grid, instead of bidding as proposed.

Patipol Keturatanang, chairman of Na Bon Agricultural Cooperatives in Nakhon
Si Thammarat, said the cooperation will submit the petition via the
government's public service centre at Government House.

He said the petition will ask the government to draw lots to select
on-ground solar farm projects which are eligible to sell electricity to the
state power grid.

He said the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) has proposed a change
of method to bidding for the second round of purchases, after earlier
approving the drawing of lots in the first round. A group of agriculture
cooperatives submitted a letter of protest to the EPPO on Jan 25. However,
the agency said it was just the opinion of the minority.

As a result, about 2,000 agriculture cooperatives nationwide have signed the
petition opposing the EPPO's proposal, said Mr Patipol. "The proposal to
open bids for solar farm power purchases will end up barring agricultural
cooperatives from participating," said Mr Patipol.

Under a Cooperative Promotion Department regulation, he said, agricultural
cooperatives can only grant a concession to solar farm operators to use
their land to run solar farms on 25-year contracts. But under the bidding
criteria, if approved, those who join bidding must be owners and investors
of solar farm projects, which would rule out agriculture cooperatives, as
few fall into that category.

In August 2014, the EPPO announced plans to support solar power generation
by purchasing solar power from various sources including solar farm projects
of 576 megawatts, small-sized rooftop solar power panels of 69.36 megawatts,
and solar power for local government organisations and agricultural
cooperatives of 800 megawatts.

For local government organisations and agricultural cooperatives in the
second round, it is 516 megawatts. In the first round last year, those
meeting the qualifications were selected through a lucky draw.

Praphon Wongtharua, director-general of the Department of Alternative Energy
Development and Efficiency, said the National Energy Policy Committee will
meet on Friday to discuss the issue. No decision has yet been made whether a
bidding process will be adopted for the second round.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Link to Original Article:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1198073/co-ops-seek-lucky-draw-for-s
olar-power-grid-plan

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com