Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha warned Monday that electricity bills could go up in a year or two if new power generation plants don't get off the ground.
His warning came in the wake of protests against a coal-fired power plant project in Krabi which intensified in front of Government House Monday.
Prasitchai Nunuan and Akradej Chakjunda, two members of the Save Andaman from Coal Network who have led hunger strike against the 800-megawatt plant, led about 100 Krabi residents to protest in front of Government House to urge the premier to scrap the project. Two of the protesters have been on hunger strike since July 10.
Gen Prayut said during a visit to Rayong province that the country was mainly relying on diesel fuels and gas in power production and if less expensive fuel sources can't be used, electricity bills might jump.
Meanwhile, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has defended its coal-fired power plant in Krabi, saying it has strictly complied with environmental laws and considered local peoples' concerns over the plant's possible effects.
The project's environmental and health impact assessment (EHIA) is now being reviewed by the Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy as required under environmental law, Egat added.
Three public hearings were organised on the proposed power plant and the port for the deliveries of coal from August 2012 to October 2014.
The project's details were modified to address the concerns of the local community related to tourism, fisheries, agriculture and the environment.
Egat said the transport of coal to a sea port on a 10,000 gross tonnage vessel will take place under a closed system, which is designed to prevent dust and other particles from spreading into the air and contaminating the environment.
The ship's route, which is about 10km away from scuba diving sites, is now used to transport fuel oil for the existing Krabi power plant.
The delivery of coal via a conveyor system from the port to the power plant will also be regulated under a closed system. It will not affect the marine ecosystem or community.
According to Egat, various power generation technologies will be used to minimise health and environmental impacts.
Air quality monitoring systems also will be installed in communities around the plant to ensure air pollutants don't exceed limits.
Egat also says it plans to open a public learning centre at the plant for information on Krabi's energy and environmental management.
The power plant's environmental impact assessment (EIA) is now under scrutiny of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Office.
The protest group on Monday sought three actions from the government: to suspend the EIA's scrutiny process, to delay the process of submitting bids on Aug 5 and set up a tripartite committee, consisting of representatives from the Energy Ministry, Krabi business sector, and civic groups, to consider the demands of locals before further action.
The protesters urged Gen Prayut to give Krabi province three years to prove the province can "100%" rely on renewable energy sources, such as palm oil biomass, instead of coal.
The group knows of 11 potential palm oil factories which can develop renewable power generating projects. However, the group said the government must expand national power grids to allow Krabi's renewable power projects to link with the rest of the country.
The protesters cited a study by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, saying Krabi has the capacity to generate 1,000 megawatts from combined renewable power projects.