Unleashing solar and wind in ASEAN

This report by Ember analyzes electricity generation and clean energy targets in the five largest ASEAN economies (ASEAN 5). It finds that while electricity demand is growing rapidly, the deployment of solar and wind power is lagging behind global averages and is insufficient to meet 1.5-degree climate pathways, with current 2030 plans projected to reach only 11% of total generation.

• Electricity demand in the ASEAN 5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam) grew by 22% from 2015 to 2021, exceeding the global average growth of 17% (or 16% as stated in the executive summary).
• Clean electricity generation has failed to keep pace with rising demand in the ASEAN 5; between 2015 and 2021, clean power met only 39% of the demand increase, while 48% was met by fossil fuels, leading to a 21% increase in power sector CO2 emissions.
• Solar and wind power generation in the ASEAN 5 stood at only 4% of total electricity in 2021, trailing behind China (11%) and India (8%). Viet Nam is the only country in the group to exceed the global average of 10% for solar and wind generation, reaching 11% in 2021.
• Current national energy plans for the ASEAN 5 are projected to increase the share of solar and wind to 11% of total electricity supply by 2030, but this is considered insufficient to align with the IEA's 1.5-degree pathway.
• Specific 2030 projections for solar and wind shares in the ASEAN 5 vary significantly: Viet Nam is estimated at 18%, the Philippines at 16.5%, Thailand at 9.6%, Malaysia at 3.4%, and Indonesia at 2%.
• The report identifies grid capacity as a major barrier to renewable energy deployment, specifically citing the experiences of Indonesia and Viet Nam where limited grid transmission hinders the implementation of solar development targets.

APA

Edianto, A. S., & Lee, U. (2022). Unleashing solar and wind in ASEAN. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2022/07/Unleashing-Solar-and-Wind-in-ASEAN.pdf

Chicago

Edianto, Achmed Shahram, and Uni Lee. Unleashing solar and wind in ASEAN. Ember, 2022. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2022/07/Unleashing-Solar-and-Wind-in-ASEAN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Edianto |first1=Achmed Shahram |last2=Lee |first2=Uni |title=Unleashing solar and wind in ASEAN |publisher=Ember |date=7 July 2022 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2022/07/Unleashing-Solar-and-Wind-in-ASEAN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{edianto2022unleashing, author = {Edianto, Achmed Shahram and Lee, Uni}, title = {{Unleashing solar and wind in ASEAN}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2022/07/Unleashing-Solar-and-Wind-in-ASEAN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }