The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has called on the commission responsible for setting electricity prices to keep the price per unit of use from exceeding 5 baht.
The FTI is reasoning that global energy prices have started to decline and it is therefore hoping for power prices to be reined in for the May-to-August fuel tariff (Ft) cycle.
FTI vice chairman Isares Ratanadilok Na Phuket said the joint public-private commission on energy must finish determining the new Ft structure by March. This will allow for the establishment of the Ft rate for the May-to-August billing cycle in time for the Energy Regulatory Commission to announce its use.
Isares added that he hoped the joint commission would take into account costs when considering its electricity pricing and be fair to all sectors. He also said the commission should not shift the energy price burden onto the private sector as it had done for the previous Ft cycle.
According to the vice chairman, the price per unit should not exceed 5 baht. He cited recent drops in global energy prices, the appreciation of the Thai baht, and expectations of more natural gas output in the Gulf of Thailand as factors enabling the Ft to be reined in.
Additionally, Isares spoke of a previous meeting between private sector representatives and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow when participants noted that energy prices started to fall.
He said the request for businesses using natural gas to slash their usage down to 80% from normal would be difficult to implement. He added that installing ad-hoc systems to use fuel oil, diesel, or LPG to supplement the missing 20% would require a timeframe of 5-6 months. (NNT)
