Thai Chamber of Commerce offers eco-friendly measures to secure energy
Kalin Sarasin, chairperson of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said on Monday (September 16) that after a meeting with Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, the chamber’s board of directors came up with four measures to ensure stability of energy supply in the country. The measures were based on input from the private sector.
“We call on the government to clarify its 1,000-megawatt solar-energy policy, which aims to provide electricity to people in rural areas within 10 years and is part of the 20-year Power Development Plan [PDP 2018],” Kalin added.
“We also want the government to promote the biomass power-generation business by allowing the Energy Ministry to purchase more biomass electricity from private producers. This measure will help boost farmers’ income and maintain stability in the price of crops.”
The third measure is related to the use of air-conditioners.
“Many businesses and public agencies still prefer setting the temperature at lower than 25 Celsius,” he said. “Air-conditioners consume a lot of energy and generate a lot of heat, contributing to global warming. We propose that the government set an air-conditioning standard for large buildings to follow that focuses on saving energy. They should also provide incentives urging building owners to change or upgrade their old air-conditioners to newer models that are more energy efficient.”
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is also calling on the government to provide tax breaks for entrepreneurs who purchase and install energy-saving equipment. “This will not only urge business owners to become more energy efficient, but will also help reduce the use of fossil fuel that has a negative impact on the environment,” the chairman said.