News

This week in ASEAN, Singapore and Indonesia took another step toward deeper regional energy integration by advancing cross-border electricity trade, while Vietnam pressed ahead with power market reforms to support rooftop solar and battery storage.

The north-east is a key focus, though seismic risk, remoteness and cultural sensitivities pose challenges.

Danantara signed MoUs with Keppel Electric and Sembcorp to advance 3.4 GW of Indonesian power imports to Singapore by 2035, alongside an Article 6 carbon market pact and CCS cooperation on Batam.

Connecting remains too expensive for many rural poor, while solar stopgap measures prove insufficient for their needs.

This week in ASEAN, Thailand’s supply chain decarbonization challenge came into focus as global brands accelerate carbon requirements. Asia Sustainable Energy Week in Bangkok highlighted rising demand for solar, storage and data center energy solutions.

Clean power added more to global energy supplies than any other source in 2025, according to the latest Energy Institute statistical review of world energy.

Thailand's new PDP targets 60% clean electricity by 2050—50% renewables plus 10% SMR. But manufacturers say data centers get priority under the current Utility Green Tariff while established industry waits.

60% of ASEAN oil imports come from the Middle East. Indonesia spends USD 2–3B annually on biodiesel subsidies while Malaysia's Solar ATAP replaces NEM—but conflicting carbon tax and gas subsidy signals remain.

Aurora Energy Research projects Singapore's Indonesian solar imports will cost SGD 240–340/MWh vs SGD 170 in wholesale revenue. REC prices peak near SGD 60 in 2026, then fall below SGD 20 by 2031.

For years, builders and developers have treated “sustainable” homes as someone else’s problem. The new research reveals developers could actually make a bigger profit than they do now from new home builds that include more sustainability features.