The government should use “avoided costs” to consider purchasing from other types of renewable energy such as biomass and biogas, he told the foundation’s seminar on unlocking renewable energy.

The “avoided costs” are the costs of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) if those renewable power plants are not installed. The avoided costs of LNG imports should also be used as a benchmark for the government to negotiate gas prices with producers in new or renewed petroleum concessions.

The solar rooftop industry was set to grow very fast in Thailand since it had already provided worthwhile returns especially for commercial and manufacturing users promoted by the Board of Investment.

Piyasvasti, also chairman of PTT, said that if energy storage technology was developed further, the first casualty would be the electricity sector, not the oil and automobile industries.

Solar and wind farms would be able to supply their electricity on a “base-load” basis, which would threaten fossil-fuelled power plants.

“About the ‘clean disruption’ that some have said that a slow-mover might become the next ‘Kodak’, who knows if the fast-mover could become the next ‘Blackberry’,” he said, referring to the electric-vehicle revolution that promises to disrupt the car and oil industries.

Wandee Khunchornyakong, chief executive officer of SPCG, a leading solar energy firm, told the seminar that the only thing that the private sector would like to ask from the government was a stable policy.

“The government should let the private sector drive [renewable energy development],” she said.