Policy, Promotion, and Supporting Measures
Since 2014, Thailand had undergone energy promotions driven by the Thailand Integrated Energy Blueprint (TIEB), a national energy master plan consisted of five sectoral energy plans: Power Development Plan (PDP), Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP), Oil Plan, and Gas Plan. Subsequently, at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom in 2021, Thailand pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero emissions by 2065. In response to these commitment, the Ministry of Energy has established the National Energy Plan (NEP) framework to support carbon reduction goals. Relevant agencies had been instructed to drive country towards committed carbon targets.
3.1 National Energy Plan (NEP)
In 2021, the NEPC approved the framework for the NEP, which aimed to support Thailand’s transition toward clean energy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, The NEP is guided by 4 key policy directions:
• Increase the proportion of renewable energy to at least 50% of new electricity generation, integrated with energy storage systems.
• Transform the transportation sector by shifting energy consumption to green electrical energy through the adoption of Electric Vehicle (EV) technology.
• Enhance energy efficiency by reducing energy intensity (EI) at least 30% through modern energy management technologies and innovations.
• Support energy transition by implementing 4D1E approach which includes:
1. Decarbonization: Reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector.
2. Digitalization: Implementing digital technologies in energy system management.
3. Decentralization: Distributing energy production centers and infrastructure.
4. Deregulation: Revising regulations to accommodate modern energy policies.
5. Electrification: Changing patterns of electricity consumption.
NEP will serve as the country’s framework for energy transition towards carbon neutrality target, which consisted of 5 sub sectoral plans: Power Development Plan (PDP), Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP), Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP), Gas Plan, and Oil Plan.