Let the sun out
Re: "Pushing banks towards green finance", (Opinion, Oct 2).
Sarinee Achavanuntakul is justifiably recognised as one of the country's most astute climate crises analysts, particularly with regard to the top priority, our energy sector's rapid transition to a low-carbon future. But she is too polite!
She articulates precisely: "As of September, Thailand still lacks a suite of public policies and regulations that are necessary to propel a meaningful economy-wide decarbonisation and just energy transition.
"For example, there is no mandatory carbon pricing regime of any kind, no mandatory carbon accounting, no coal phaseout date, and the net zero goal of 2065 is 15 years behind most countries.
"Finally, the draft 2024 Power Development Plan (PDP 2024) makes no mention of rooftop solar and still makes room for 6,300 MW of new natural gas power plants by 2037, without factoring in the potential added costs from future carbon tax and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology."
More forthrightly, Khun Sarinee might have quoted one leading global climate risk rating agency, which refers to Thailand's decarbonisation efforts as "critically insufficient".
Even more bluntly, the draft PDP 2024–37 can most accurately be described as a national disaster. It's a disaster for every citizen, doomed for decades to consume dirty, high-cost electricity, and it's a disaster for every business that needs to use that electricity to compete in the global marketplace. Moreover, it undermines Thailand's already pathetic international commitment to achieving a low-carbon future, one in which our children can survive.
How is this possible? Just follow the money, to Big Energy. PDP 2024 is a huge win for Big Energy, the handful of energy conglomerates in cahoots with the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) which together control licensing for our highly regulated power sector.
With licences come Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). With PPAs come huge bank loans to build huge gas-fired power stations which consumers don't need, but end up paying for. The international standard for electricity grids is to have 15% excess power production capacity over peak load and Thailand generally has much more: sometimes about 45% of power glut.
If the draft PDP 2024–37 is not radically amended, by 2037 we could have excess production capacity in excess of 100%!
Please, please prime minister, stop this disaster now, and turn on the sun.
Re: "Forensic police find 'gas leak' behind fatal bus fire", (BP, Oct 4).
There are calls for the owner of the bus company, whose greed and abject disregard for life led to the tragic and unnecessary deaths of 20 children and three teachers, to be severely punished, and rightly so.
Perhaps the best punishment would be to ensure that he is locked away, knowing that there are now 23 angry ghosts who will visit him nightly and demand an explanation. I wish him strength, although I seriously doubt he will ever find it.
Re: "MP defends Gen Pisal's sick leave", (BP, Oct 6).
Pheu Thai Party's list-MP, Gen Pisal Wattanawongkiri, is on two months' sick leave to receive medical treatment overseas. Gen Pisal, former commander of the Fourth Army Region, is wanted by the court to stand trial for involvement in the 2004 Tak Bai tragedy in Narathiwat province.
Many of my friends, quite successful in their careers, could not afford such treatment in a foreign country, I wonder how a Thai general/retiree has the funds to do this -- a rich wife maybe?
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