The Energy Ministry will revise all compulsory and non-compulsory energy-saving measures launched in the Thaksin era, with the intention of replacing them with measures that guarantee lower energy consumption.

The ministry also plans to return regulatory power to the National Energy Policy Office, which will resume responsibility for setting fuel tariffs, the national power development plan and energy collaboration with neighbouring countries.

Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said yesterday energy-saving measures should be in place in case of shortages and not only when oil prices are high, like at present. "The best way to handle this high-price crisis is to ensure that oil prices reflect the market prices," he said.

Among compulsory and non-compulsory measures introduced during the Thaksin era were orders for all petrol stations to close at 10pm and open at 5am, while lights on street hoardings had to be turned off at 10pm.

Piyasvasti said he was not convinced these measures had led to lower fuel consumption. There are many more effective measures that have not yet been enforced, particularly minimum standards for electrical appliances and energy consumption in buildings.

At present, minimum standards are compulsory only for refrigerators, while many other appliances, particularly air-conditioners and light-bulbs, are off the hook.

However, in order to effect these changes, the ministry needs more authority over the setting of standards, which are now controlled by the Industry Ministry's Industrial Standards Office.

Meanwhile, drivers should be ordered not to drive faster than 100kph on certain routes, he said.

"We need to consult with many agencies, including the Industry and Transport ministries, to ensure effective fuel-saving. So far, this has shown slow progress," said Piyasvasti.

Next Monday, the ministry will propose an action plan to the board of the National Energy Policy Office, which will include proposals to restructure power-industry governance and to establish a committee to draft laws governing electricity and natural gas. A ministry source said the drafting committee would include Energy Ministry officials and representatives of the Energy Policy and Planning Office, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) and PTT, as well as experts from the Thailand Development Research Institute and Thammasat and Chulalongkorn universities.

Next Wednesday, high-level ministry officials will review the new power-development plan, including prospective demand, capacity expansion and choices of fuels. Details will then be discussed with all parties, in order to ensure transparency and public acknowledgement.

Decisions on which fuels Thailand should use will be made according to the advantages and disadvantages of each. Officials will seek opinions, for instance, on whether coal is acceptable to environmentally concerned persons. If it is not, then alternative fuels must be proposed.

Ministry officials will also tackle the question of how the government should promote high-cost energy sources like solar cells.

Piyasvasti said that only after all these details were completed would the ministry wrap up details of the second round of bidding for independent-power-producer contracts.

"We expect the bidding documents to be available early next year. Principally, the only change from the first bidding in 1994 will be that the Energy Ministry will handle the bidding rather than the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand," said the minister. The ministry has not yet decided whether Egat's affiliates - Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and Electricity Generating - should be allowed to join the bidding.

Energy Reporters

The Nation