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Southeast Asia Energy Outlook 2026
…by far the most regularly updated regional outlook compiled by the International Energy Agency (IEA). This reflects the dynamism of the region, as well as the importance of the IEA’s partnership with the eleven countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste (joined ASEAN in 2025) and Viet Nam.As energy security concerns move ever higher on the policy agenda, this year’s report explores the trajectory that the region was on prior to the conflict in…
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Will new PV manufacturing policies in the United States, India and the European Union create global PV supply diversification?
…countries) in both the short and long term. PV manufacturing cost-competitiveness In the past year, rising global commodity prices have led to higher material costs for solar PV manufacturing. Today, China and ASEAN countries (Viet Nam, Thailand and Malaysia) have the lowest solar PV module manufacturing costs for all segments of the supply chain. Economies of scale, supply chain integration, relatively low energy costs and labour productivity make China the most competitive solar module manufacturer worldwide. Higher investment costs in India are the primary reason for the cost differential with China, while higher overhead and labour costs makes US…
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Accelerating Renewables Growth in ASEAN
Challenges and policy suggestions Eight of the 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted net zero emissions targets, and recent national energy plans outline substantially higher ambitions for renewable capacity. Achieving these goals will require timely, sustained and strongly co-ordinated policy action to unlock the scale of renewable energy deployment needed by 2030 and beyond.This report examines the key challenges hindering a faster capacity deployment of renewable power in ASEAN and outlines potential policy solutions informed by successful international experience. It also provides an assessment of renewable-energy auction design options, an…
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Integrating Solar and Wind in Southeast Asia
Status and outlook for secure and efficient strategies Southeast Asia is experiencing one of the fastest electricity demand growths globally, with consumption set to double by 2050. While renewable deployment has accelerated in recent years, the region’s growing reliance on imported fossil-fuels for electricity generation, exposes countries to volatile fuel prices, potential supply disruptions and rising emissions. At the same time, the region possesses vast and diverse renewable resource potential. Variable renewable energy (VRE) - solar and wind - are now among the most cost-competitive generation options and are playing an increasingly important role in the region’s power…
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Financing the Modernisation of Power Systems Beyond Coal
The role of transition credits in Southeast Asia Coal is a central component of power systems in Southeast Asia, even as governments have committed to reducing coal‑related emissions. Rapid electricity demand growth, alongside coal’s role in system adequacy, reliability and energy security, complicates efforts to accelerate coal transitions. Recent volatility in international gas markets has reinforced the short‑term economic and security value of existing coal assets, adding complexity to national transition strategies. The region’s young coal fleet also implies substantial long‑term emissions if plants continue operating at current utilisation rates.Against this backdrop, new approaches are being explored…
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Sustainable Transport Policy for Armenia: A Roadmap
As a part of the EU4Energy Programme, the Armenia Energy Policy Roadmap on Sustainable Transport presents a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for transforming the country’s mobility system into a sustainable and efficient transport system. The strategy seeks to deliver significant reductions in CO₂ emissions while strengthening regional connectivity, fostering economic development, and enhancing energy security. While Armenia has made notable progress in rolling out electric vehicles and electrifying its rail network, it still struggles with a high dependence on imported fossil fuels, a lack of data transparency and weak co-ordination among government agencies. This roadmap is structured to…
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Financing the ASEAN Power Grid
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a long history of electricity system connectivity, and the development of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is central to achieving a sustainable, secure and affordable energy transition across the region. Delivering the APG will require a significant step‑change in investment over the coming 15 years, and unlocking financing from a diverse range of sources will be essential for this to happen. Yet financing approaches and business models have not evolved at the pace required to support an increasingly ambitious and complex pipeline of interconnector projects.This report examines how interconnectors are approached…
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Developing Capacity for Long-Term Energy Policy Planning: A Roadmap
EU4Energy regional roadmap Today’s main policy questions relate to what an energy policy should look like to be robust and flexible enough to deal with the uncertainties of the future. Therefore, a scenario-approach relying on energy system models is essential to support decision making because modern energy system analysis provides the best chance of ensuring decisions will not be regretted in the medium to long term.Developing analytical capacity (i.e. tools and staff skills) is complex and time-consuming. To maintain – and especially expand – a country’s capacity for long-term energy planning, adequate resources need to…
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IEA Support to Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting (ARPE)
Between October 2023 and March 2025, the IEA implemented the “Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting” (ARPE) action. The goal of ARPE was to support five EU Member states – Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and the Slovak Republic (Focus countries) – in developing and implementing policy and regulatory measures aimed at reaching their renewable energy targets, notably through accelerating permitting of renewable energy projects.In support of this objective, the IEA organised and facilitated five workshops focused on the following topics:streamlining administrative proceduresaccelerating offshore wind deploymentfacilitating spatial planning for renewable energy deploymentensuring public engagement and acceptance, and afinal workshop summarizing the project…
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Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2024
Northwest Europe is at the forefront of low-emissions hydrogen development. This region accounts for around half of Europe’s total hydrogen demand, and it has vast and untapped renewable energy and carbon storage potential in the North Sea. It also has a well-developed, interconnected gas network which could be partially repurposed to facilitate the transmission and distribution of low-emissions hydrogen from production sites to demand centres.The development of low-emissions hydrogen in Northwest Europe could gradually scale up in the short- to medium-term. Northwest European countries now have the ambition to develop up to 30…
