Pa Kia Mai Hydro Power

 

Before 2014, about 100 households of over 400 people at Pa Kia Mai Village and Nam Ru Village, Doi Sam Muen were left in darkness with no access to basic electricity which greatly affected their living standards. This was because these households were located in the National Reserve Park areas. Some houses have a single solar panel to generate just 1 or 2 appliances.

HRDI has stepped in these villages since 2009 to help improve the quality of life of the local people who are mostly Lisu tribe. HRDI is playing a key role in building cooperation and integration across relevant stakeholders including local people participation. About the year 2014, the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) installed a hydroelectric power plant from Nam Ru water source, generating power supply to serve the two communities including temples, schools, and local government offices located in these communities.

HRDI has encouraged the communities to form the “Pa Kia Mai Hydro Power Plant Community Group” to manage the operation of the power plant. The Group cannot be legally registered as its objectives do not comply with the requirements of either cooperatives or community enterprise. However, HRDI encouraged the group committee members to learn about group organization, structure and management to enhance the community strengths and self-reliance.

The Pa Kia Mai Hydro Power Plant Community Group seems to be a "self-reliant group" rather than a business group. It has appointed a management committee with its team members elected from the local people. The Group has set up rules and regulations agreed and practiced by the locals in both villages.

The Hydro Power facilities are maintained by two technicians in the community. One of the villager has been trained by the DEDE how to use the hydro panels correctly and how to fix them when they are out of order or broken. The knowledge has been transferred to another villager.

The villagers have agreed to pay monthly electricity bill at 4 baht per unit. The revenue is divided into two portions, one half will be deposited in the bank, saving for system repair and maintenance while the other is the wages of the 2 technicians who look after of the system. The wages are uncertain, depending on the electricity bill. But these two technicians are responsible for ensuring all households to have electricity according to the rules. Their mission can be called as Community CSR.

SDG7 - Affordable and clean energy