Trairat Blasts Energy Commission Decision, Accuses Utility of Profiteering on Solar Power Spread
Energy Commission's 2.20 baht purchase price for rooftop solar power is too low, says solar entrepreneur Trairat, who accuses utilities of pocketing nearly 5 billion baht annually by reselling that power to consumers at nearly 5 baht per un
On April 30, 2025, Trairat Sirijantharaphot, former deputy secretary-general of the Thai Build Thailand Party and current solar energy entrepreneur, posted on Facebook criticizing the Energy Commission's decision to purchase electricity from citizens' rooftop solar systems at 2.20 baht per unit. He questioned how this supports the public, noting that while the commission buys solar power at 2.20 baht per unit, it resells electricity to consumers at nearly 5 baht per unit. This spread of almost 2.8 baht per unit becomes profit for distribution utilities like the Provincial Electricity Authority and the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, despite actual transmission service costs being only 0.51 baht per unit. Trairat estimates the utilities are making nearly 5 billion baht in annual profits from this margin. He concluded by asking whether Energy Minister Eknath's solar support policy is truly designed to benefit citizens or simply to generate profits for the utilities at their expense. If the government were genuinely committed to supporting rooftop solar adoption, he argued, it should purchase electricity from citizens at the same price it sells to them, minus only the 0.51 baht transmission cost, rather than profiteering on citizens' backs.
