Blackout reveals no shortage of protest energy

Blackout reveals no shortage of protest energy

Because of the recent epic blackout in the southern region of Thailand, Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal told us that we need a new coal-fired power plant in Krabi and other provinces.

He said the power outage should serve as a warning for those who keep protesting against new power plants but still use electricity at home.

Blackout is a word that influences Thais. Thai people might be able to tolerate tyranny, coups d'etat, civil war, political crackdowns or political protesters hijacking Suvarnabhumi airport, if maybe not epic flooding. But I am not sure whether we can survive a day of blackout, not to mention a week or a month.

Like moonlight and love songs, the idea for coal-fired power plants in Thailand is never out of date. To be fair, the fuel is considered the cheapest, especially when you don't consider external costs such as cleaning up the pollution, managing the environment, or forgetting serious problems such as global warming or the dream of becoming a low-carbon society.

Should we fear respiratory disease caused by sulphur fumes like the residents of Mae Mo in Lampang province? The authorities and pro-coal advocates have told us time and again that we are emotional, fearful and ill-informed, some have even called us uneducated. The "clean coal technology" has been available for years. (Whether the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand will activate this system or not is a question that remains to be answered.)

The Energy Regulatory Commission is the agency being lambasted for its handling of the southern power outage, and its chairman Direk Lawansiri has suggested holding public hearings on coal-fired power plants so society can come to a consensus.

This idea drew public attention, as well as support from an unlikely place _ anti-power plant activist Kornuma Pongnoi.

Kornuma is the president of Rak Thong Thin Bo Nok, a conservation group in Prachuap Khiri Khan, which is earmarked for three coal-fired power plants.

Kornuma never set out to become an activist. She took up the role after her husband Charoen Wataksorn was shot, point blank, and killed. Charoen was a leading figure against plans to build a coal-fired power plant in the community. This was one of many protests that had forced power plant projects to be put on hold.

Kornuma's argument is interesting and relevant. "I agree that public hearings on coal-fired power plants should be conducted. But the best topic is, 'Should coal-fired power plants be built in Bangkok'." Her argument was published in local newspapers and was a hit on social media. Kornuma repeated the authorities' warning that Bangkok is vulnerable to power outages. With the highest power users in the country _ 8,000 megawatt or 30% of the demand _ the city has only two coal-fired power plants with a capacity of more than 2,800 megawatts. The energy that feeds Bangkok comes from a natural gas field in Myanmar. Last summer, Bangkokians lived with the anxiety of power outages when gas and oil fields and planned facilities went under maintenance.

"Indeed, Bangkok should have at least five coal-fired plans that can produce 4,000 megawatts for Bangkok's consumption only," she said.

She reasoned that the best way to avoid blackouts is to build power plants near where the demand was so the grid lines will be safer from accidents or lightning strikes, as happened last week.

She said Bangkok can set the standard for clean-coal technology.

"If coal-fired power plants can be built and operated in the capital city and our Thai-style management can handle pollution and problems, if Bangkok can manage their power plants well, other provinces might be able to accept this technology," she reasoned.

"After all, it will be fair because polluters should bear the share of pollution and environmental problems too."

The debate over coal-fired power plants has been ongoing and city dwellers, businessmen and pro-business media in Bangkok have often said that other people must learn to sacrifice for the greater good.

We talk about better technology. We fancy nuclear energy. Those who disagree are hillbillies. And if coal-fired power plants are safe and good, why should they not be built in the capital city for residents to test and try? Our engineers and waste management systems are reliable and efficient. And if we can set a good standard on clean-coal technology, we can build more power plants elsewhere and perhaps invest in nuclear power plants in city areas, like Japan.

So, it's about time the whole country debated whether or not Bangkok should have more coal-fired power plants.

For villagers and provincial areas with electricity supply problems, let them stay stuck with expensive solar farms and rooftops.

So I will definitely say yes to a public hearing for coal-fired power plants in Bangkok, as long as I am convinced that the project will stay at least 50km away from my home.

My home is in the inner city, so residents of outer Bangkok should make the sacrifice. Right?


Anchalee Kongrut is a feature writer for Life.

Anchalee Kongrut

Editorial pages editor

Anchalee Kongrut is Bangkok Post's editorial pages editor.

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