PM says country overdependent on IPPs

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak admitted today that the government needs to revise its energy policy, calling the current one obsolete and in need of a revamp.

In his keynote address at electricity utility TNB's 60th anniversary celebration here, he said the current policy was proven to be costly, both environmentally and financially.

Heavy dependence on independent power producers (IPPs) and costly natural resources like natural gas have taken its toll on the government financially while cheaper options like coal is damaging to the environment, said the prime minister.

"I don't like the current energy policy. It's not right," he told some 1,500 TNB workers attending the event.

"We are overly dependent on the IPPs and expensive resources like natural gas to produce energy and coal is what we call dirty technology, it's not environmentally friendly," he added.

Relations between IPPs and the government have not been good in recent years.

Many leaders from both sides of the political spectrum are calling for the government to be firm with the IPPs which they claimed have been stepping on its toes by providing energy at high prices.

While Najib today said the government should stop depending on the IPPs, he did not mention how the government planned to do so.

Later at a press conference, Najib said the government had begun embarking on a new energy policy that he claims would be focusing more on cost-effective resources.

As revealed in Najib's maiden Budget recently, the prime minister told the media that his administration had started studying sectors like renewable energy and green technology to replace the current policy.

"It's not a short-term solution, it's a long one but we need to make the first step," he said.


comments

"Relations between IPPs and the government have not been good in recent years."

Now, who allowed these IPPs to be formed to exploit the country and its people?
Admitting having a stupid and shortsighted energy policy is no cure.

UMNO BN regime was the one who had awarded billions of ringgit of unfair contracts to IPP !!!!

Under these contracts, TNB is suppose to pay beyond market price to IPP even without demand !!! And these cost are ultimately pass on to consumer Rakyat !!!