Viraphol Jirapraditkul, designated director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office in the Energy Ministry, said representatives from relevant government agencies, academics, the Federation of Consumers and enterprises such as PTT would participate in shaping the PDP blueprint.

To meet the expected annual rise of

5-6 per cent in demand for electricity over the next five years, the PDP will lay the groundwork for increased traditional energy production and introduce alternative energy sources to replace 5 per cent of the energy provided by traditional sources.

Energy use is expected to more than double in 15 years, Viraphol said. In the future 40 per cent of the country's electricity will come from natural gas and another 40 per cent from coal, while the rest will be sourced from neighbouring countries such as Laos.

Sairung Tongplon, manager of the Federation of Consumers, said that the meeting should focus not only on the PDP. She said the Energy Ministry should set up long-term goals for energy reform, realigning development with natural gas.

The ministry should first assess the impact of overall energy industry development on society, the environment and economy before outlining the PDP, said Sairung. The whole energy industry structure should then be adjusted accordingly. A committee should also be set up to oversee planning and to monitor progress within the sector, she added.