Thailand Launches 1.5 Billion Dollar Household Solar Program

The Government of Thailand launched the People's Solar program on October 27, a 50-billion-baht (approximately US$1.5 billion) initiative to subsidize rooftop solar installations for one million households. The program provides up to 50,000 baht per household to help residents generate their own electricity and sell surplus power back to the national grid. The government estimates the initiative will reduce annual household power bills by more than 24.5 billion baht.

To support the transition, the cabinet approved over 20 billion baht for smart grid development and tax cuts for biofuels, specifically gasohol E20 and biodiesel B20. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority and the Provincial Electricity Authority will serve as one-stop service centers for registration and grid connection. The program is funded through a 400-billion-baht emergency borrowing package originally intended to mitigate economic impacts from conflict in the Middle East.

Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas noted that Thailand's reliance on energy imports is not a sustainable solution, citing a period between January and July 2026 where imported liquid natural gas accounted for 32 percent of the natural gas supply. This shift followed declining production from domestic sources and Myanmar. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the scheme as an energy, economic, and social measure intended to raise incomes and improve quality of life. Thailand aims to generate 51 percent of its domestic electricity from renewable sources by 2037.