Bangkok: The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is inviting public feedback on the draft regulations for the procurement of electricity from community solar farm projects via its website from December 25, 2025, to January 8, 2026. This initiative aims to gather insights and suggestions from the public to refine the proposed regulations.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Poolpat Leesombatpaiboon, Secretary-General of the Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and acting spokesperson for the ERC, announced that the commission resolved to conduct a public consultation following the resolutions of the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC). These resolutions, made in their meetings on October 27 and November 28, 2025, endorsed the framework for the Community-based Solar Power Generation Project and tasked the ERC with issuing comprehensive regulations for electricity procurement.
The draft regulation outlines the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) as the central body responsible for procuring and purchasing electricity from these solar projects. The PEA’s duties include announcing eligible communities, determining electricity sales capacity per sub-district, and processing electricity sales proposals. The draft also presents a detailed timeline and procedures to ensure a structured and fair procurement process.
The timeline involves several steps, starting with the PEA issuing a list of eligible communities and determining electricity sales within seven days of the ERC’s invitation to tender. Subsequent steps include system potential announcements, application processes for grid connection inspections, and evaluations of electricity sales proposals, all under a first-come, first-served basis.
The draft regulations emphasize that PEA must select power plants based on criteria set by the NEPC. Eligible communities must have at least 50% of households classified as Type 1, with an average electricity consumption of no more than 200 units per month. The PEA will also set electricity rate discounts for these communities, ensuring transparency and fairness in the procurement process. The ERC will oversee the entire process to maintain fairness and transparency for local residents.