Guest Contributor

As Southeast Asia’s energy demand is projected to more than double by 2050, the region faces a critical choice: build bigger, faster, and cheaper, or build smarter, fairer, and greener. The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is a key cornerstone of this transition. It promises technical and economic gains for the region, serving as Southeast Asia's strategy for greater regional integration, energy security, economic growth, and achieving a sustainable, low-carbon future. 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the barrage of rocket attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have forced the country to rebuild what's been destroyed while reimagining its energy future at the same time. The destruction of over a quarter of Ukraine's power generation has upped the demand for clean, renewable energy systems, decentralized energy generation, and smarter, more resilient grids. The nation's push for a just energy transition has become a defining narrative of resilience.

From 2018 to 2023, South Africa endured a debilitating energy crisis as rolling blackouts paralysed the nation. This catastrophe stemmed from the premature decommissioning of coal plants without adequate replacement capacity. While South Africa struggled, China and India—two of the world's top coal consumers—expanded their coal infrastructure with less scrutiny, revealing a global inequity in climate policy.