Thailand targets 50% clean power in draft energy plan
Thailand’s draft PDP 2026 targets 10,000 megawatts of rooftop solar and greater competition through direct clean-power purchases.
Thailand aims to raise clean energy’s share of its power mix from less than 20% to 50% within the first decade of its new Power Development Plan (PDP), which the energy minister said on Wednesday (September 9) was about a week away from being finalised.
Energy Minister Akanat Promphan outlined the proposals at The Big Issue PDP 2026 Energy Green Power forum, organised by Thansettakij and Post Today.
He said the draft had recently gone through public consultation and was built around three priorities: cleaner power, stronger energy security and a fairer electricity market. He described the plan as essential to supplying modern industries and helping Thailand achieve economic growth above the 2–3% range.
Beyond the first decade, the draft envisages increasing the clean-energy share to between 65% and 90% by 2050. Akanat said greater access to clean electricity would give Thai industries a competitive advantage in global markets imposing increasingly stringent carbon-related trade measures.
Rooftop solar and direct power purchases
A rooftop solar programme targeting 10,000 megawatts is central to the plan’s public-ownership proposals. Akanat said the aim was to create “people’s power plants”, allowing the public to own generation assets and benefit from fairer electricity prices.
The proposed market reforms would also promote competition through direct power purchase agreements (Direct PPAs), allowing electricity users to buy clean power directly from producers. Akanat presented wider participation in power generation and purchasing as key elements of a fairer energy system.
Reducing reliance on volatile gas markets
The energy-security measures focus on reducing Thailand’s dependence on liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchased on the highly volatile spot market.
Instead, the government intends to maximise the use of gas resources in the Gulf of Thailand and negotiate imports from neighbouring Myanmar to their full potential. Akanat said the approach was intended to stabilise electricity costs.
He linked the need for change to what he described as the most severe energy crisis in history, driven by conflict in the Middle East and its direct impact on fuel costs and transportation.
Long-term framework and new technologies
Thailand had been waiting for an updated Power Development Plan since 2018, Akanat said, during which global energy conditions had changed sharply. He described the new draft as a 25-year framework extending to 2050, designed to address geopolitical challenges and support Thailand’s net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal.
The plan would remain open to different technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs), hydrogen and geothermal energy. Akanat said competition should be based on quality and delivering the lowest possible prices for households and businesses, rather than excluding particular technologies.
“PDP 2026 is not merely a power-generation plan. It is a social contract and a signal that Thailand is sending to investors around the world to confirm the country’s readiness and courage to adapt towards a sustainable green economy,” Akanat said.
“The Ministry of Energy will continue to listen to opinions from people across all sectors as important partners in refining the plan and making it as complete as possible before it is formally implemented.”
