Environmentalists sue over plans for more coal-fired power plants

An association against global warming has filed a lawsuit against five Thai government entities over plans to build more coal-fired power plants.

On 17 November 2016, Srisuwan Janya, Chair of the environmental group Association Against Global Warming, filed a lawsuit against Energy Minister Gen Anantaporn Kanjanarat, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), EPPO’s Energy Policy Subcommittee, and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The lawsuit was filed at the Central Administrative Court, Bangkok. The group wants the court to nullify the Thailand Power Development Plan 2015-2036 (PDP 2015).  

According to the government, PDP 2015 emphasizes power system reliability by reducing dependence on natural gas to generate power, increasing the use of coal via ‘clean coal technology’, importing power from neighbouring countries, and developing renewable energy.

Under the plan, the government will build more coal-fired power plants to cope with increasing domestic demand for electricity.

The group, however, argues that this plan could affect local communities living next to the proposed coal-fired power plants, adding that these plants could also cause irreversible environmental damage.

At present, EGAT already has the capacity to produce 21-35 per cent more energy than Thailand needs. Under the PDP 2015 plan, this surplus will increase to 30-39 per cent, which the group claims is unnecessary.

The group also said that if PDP 2015 is implemented, Thai households will have to pay more for electricity to finance the unnecessary energy surplus.

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