PHNOM PENH – The Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC) has instructed unregistered solar-energy consumers to apply for self-declaration and this, between the date of the notice they received and August 15. While this self-declaration application is free of charge, this has caused a public outcry.

People who have installed solar panels on their roofs and have not yet applied for a permit or filed a declaration of their use must do so in order to be considered authorized consumers, the EAC stated in the notice dated July 4.

This notice prompted criticism of the authority and fueled anger among people, leading them to say that “the sun is now owned by the government.” A large number of people spoke against this self-declaration on social media, accusing the government of exploiting the population.

On July 6, the EAC held a press conference to address the situation.

EAC Chairman Yim Viseth said this was the second notice sent, the first one having been issued in November 2023.  This second notice was meant as a reminder that solar panel installers and users had to apply for self-declaration, he said. So far, there had only been 94 users who had done so, he added.

Viseth explained that a self-declaration is required for those who have installed a solar system with a capacity larger than 10 kilowatts and only connected to the national grid.

A self-declaration is crucial for solar power system installers to manage and prevent potential issues, such as blackouts, Viseth said. People with 10 kW systems (50 amperes or less) do not require self-declaration or payment, he added.

According to Viseth, self-declaration of solar installations in Cambodia is free and crucial for information sharing. Failure to do so may result in higher compensation fees or temporary power supply suspension, he said.

Keo Rottanak, minister of Mines and Energy, explained that clean energy is desirable but needs a thorough management plan to avoid disruption.

“We want to protect the national interest because the instability of power affects the national economy,” he had said on Feb. 15, 2024, in a video that he reposted following the public backlash.

Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) has planned 500 megawatts of solar energy in the national grid, Viseth said.

“If we allow everyone to use solar energy as they wish, two problems will arise,” Rottanak said. “Capacity will be beyond what the national electricity can accept. Second, solar investment needs a signed agreement. On behalf of the Cambodian people, EDC has bought a solar energy system with the capacity predicted in order to avoid a lack of demand. When they use the power from solar and not from EDC, EDC will lose and still need to pay for that.”

A capacity charge is required when using solar energy, which is a backup electricity bill, meaning that people can consume power from EDC whenever solar panels cannot generate energy due to weather change.

“You connect to the national grid, so we have to work together,” he said. “Using solar without connecting to the national grid means you don’t have to pay for anything. Without proper power management, the power from EDC will be disrupted while power costs for those who don’t use solar energy could increase.

“We don’t want to see that happen,” Viseth said. “We want solar users to use their power within the controlled capacity without affecting the price for those without solar use.”