Bangkok: "Peerapan" announces a "complete overhaul" of the price difference in solar power purchases. Mr. Peerapan Salirathavipak, leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party and prime ministerial candidate, has clearly announced his stance, stating he will proceed with an investigation into solar power procurement projects if he returns to office. This follows his discovery of irregularities in power purchase agreements (PPAs) that arose after he left his position as Minister of Energy, specifically suspiciously inflated prices that contradicted actual production costs.

According to Thai News Agency, throughout his two years as minister, Peerapan never initiated new power purchase auctions. Instead, he had to manage old projects carried over from the previous government, projects that had already been auctioned but where price agreements hadn't been finalized. He therefore delayed signing these contracts, believing the country's electricity reserves were still in excess of what was needed. He established a guideline that if the government were to purchase electricity from private companies, the price must not exceed the cost at which the government (EGAT) produces it itself. This was based on the average cost of 1.57 baht per unit of floating solar power generated by government-owned dams, in order to protect the interests of the country and its people.

Immediately after the change of government, there was a rush to negotiate a new electricity purchase price, jumping to 2.16 baht per unit. This price is significantly higher than the previously established guideline, even though the cost of producing solar power is only decreasing with current technology. During his time in office, the issue was consistently avoided because the principle was that if electricity was to be purchased, it must be at a fair price equivalent to what the government produces. But what is happening now is an agreement on an excessively high price, benefiting the private sector unjustly and creating long-term obligations for the country.

Peerapan emphasized that this is a major issue that has caused the nation immense loss of benefits. If he returns to office, he will investigate all the facts to determine why prices have skyrocketed and why contracts were rushed to be signed at such prices, even though a policy of liberalizing solar power could have been implemented, allowing anyone to produce their own electricity without requiring permits, thereby reducing the government's burden of purchasing solar power and genuinely lowering electricity costs.