EGAT panel picks deputy Soonchai as next governor

Kurujit Nakornthap, Energy Ministry deputy permanent secretary and chairman of the Egat subcommittee tasked with selecting the new governor, said Soonchai had achieved the highest score in the selection process.
Egat will submit the selection outcome to the ministry, which will then forward Soonchai’s name for Cabinet approval.
If approved by ministers, he will become Egat’s 12th governor, replacing Sutat Patmasiriwat, whose term expires on August 30.
The other two candidates for the top post are Pongdith Pochana, deputy governor for corporate social affairs, and Thana Putarungsri, deputy governor for transmission system.

SPENDING PLANS
Egat will spend more than Bt300 billion from this year through 2017 on the development of power plants and the transmission-line system.
Less than 50 per cent will be financed by borrowing and bond issuance, and the rest by its own revenue.
Of the total spending, about Bt180 billion will be poured into establishing power plants and Bt123.1 billion into the transmission-line system.
Some Bt37 billion will be spent this year, Bt40.5 billion next year, nearly Bt65 billion in 2015, Bt78.7 billion in 2016 and Bt81.4 billion in 2017.
From 2018 to 2022, the state agency plans to spend another Bt478.4 billion, of which Bt304.2 billion will on the production side and Bt174.2 billion on transmission lines.
Of the total, some Bt77.3 billion will be spent in the first year, Bt82.3 billion in 2019, Bt97.5 billion in 2020, Bt106.7 billion in 2021 and Bt114.4 billion in the final year.
Egat’s total spending in the next 10 years will be about Bt781.6 billion.
Meanwhile, an Egat source said management had been mulling the idea of restructuring the agency and adjusting its investment strategy to boost competitiveness.
Some management officials have even proposed the dissolution of Egat International, as its state-owned status results in a lack of flexibility to undertake investment, the source said.
They also believe Egat should consider merging Egco Group and Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding – in both of which it owns major stakes – with a view to boosting the agency’s asset value, the source added.