The SEC is holding a public hearing on the amendments of the Regulations RE: Rules, Conditions and Procedures for Establishment and Management of Infrastructure Funds to reduce obstacles for power plant infrastructure funds to use the capital market to raise funds as the industry is important to national development. The move will bring the regulations into alignment with the government’s Alternative Energy Development Plan B.E. 2558-2579 (2015-2036) which aims to increase the ratio and the use of renewables in electricity generation. Renewable energy is mostly produced by small power plants.

The proposed amendments will make it more conductive for business operators with multiple small power plant projects to raise capital through infrastructure funds. The minimum investment requirement for each project, currently set at 500 million baht, will be lifted. Combined investment of an infrastructure fund in all power plant projects must be not less than 2 billion baht.

If an infrastructure fund invests in multiple infrastructure businesses including electricity generation, however, the total combined investment in electricity generation business must be not less than 500 million baht. This is to ensure that investment in power generation is sufficiently large when compared with the fund size which is required to be at least 2 billion baht.

The consultation paper can be found at SEC website: www.sec.or.th/hearing. Stakeholders and interested parties are welcome to give comments and suggestions via the SEC website or email: songyod@sec.or.th or nuchanat@sec.or.th. The public hearing ends on 18 May 2018.