Wired for profit: Grid is the key to unlock ASEAN energy investment

This report by Ember argues that modernizing and interconnecting electricity grids is the primary driver for unlocking solar and wind energy investment across ASEAN. It highlights a significant gap between current national transmission plans and the International Energy Agency's (IEA) requirements, while proposing a six-pillar framework for future-ready grid development to enhance regional energy security and economic growth.

• ASEAN's current transmission grid expansion plans are insufficient to meet climate targets. Between 2023 and 2030, Indonesia, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Thailand plan to add 45,076 km of transmission lines, which is only about 45% of the 100,000 km target set by the IEA's Announced Pledges Scenario (APS) for Southeast Asia between 2021 and 2030.
• Planned interconnection routes in the region possess significant untapped renewable energy potential. Approximately 30 GW of solar and wind capacity (specifically 24 GW of solar and 5.6 GW of wind) could be harnessed in areas including Sumatra and the Riau islands in Indonesia, Sarawak in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Brunei.
• Solar and wind generation are projected to increase significantly in the ASEAN power mix, rising from 4% today to between 23% and 25% by 2030.
• Regional grid connectivity is expected to provide substantial economic benefits, including a projected GDP increase across ASEAN of 0.8% to 4.6% and the creation of 182,000 jobs resulting from 30 GW of new solar and wind installations.
• The report identifies several clean flexibility options to maintain grid stability as renewables increase: pumped hydro (with 16 GW currently under construction or in development), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and demand-side management (DSM).
• To transition from reactive expansion to proactive transformation, the report proposes a six-pillar framework for grid development: smart grid modernisation, strategic grid expansion, system flexibility and resilience, regional integration and interconnection, market and regulatory reforms, and sustainable finance and investment mobilisation.

APA

Setyawati, D. D., & Nadhila, S. (2025). Wired for profit: Grid is the key to unlock ASEAN energy investment. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/05/Report-Wired-for-profit-ASEAN-PDF.pdf

Chicago

Setyawati, Dr Dinita, and Shabrina Nadhila. Wired for profit: Grid is the key to unlock ASEAN energy investment. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/05/Report-Wired-for-profit-ASEAN-PDF.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Setyawati |first1=Dr Dinita |last2=Nadhila |first2=Shabrina |title=Wired for profit: Grid is the key to unlock ASEAN energy investment |publisher=Ember |date=15 May 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/05/Report-Wired-for-profit-ASEAN-PDF.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{setyawati2025wired, author = {Setyawati, Dr Dinita and Nadhila, Shabrina}, title = {{Wired for profit: Grid is the key to unlock ASEAN energy investment}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/05/Report-Wired-for-profit-ASEAN-PDF.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }