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This report examines the governance challenges facing the development of cross-border subsea power cables in ASEAN. While technical feasibility is established, the report identifies gaps in regional planning, cost allocation, and maritime coordination. Drawing on Europe's experience with the Ten-Year Network Development Plan and Cross-Border Cost Allocation, it recommends a phased approach: first operationalising the ASEAN Power Grid Generation and Transmission Planning (AGTP) function, then piloting benefit-based cost allocation, and finally strengthening cross-sectoral maritime spatial planning.

This report by Ember analyzes the vulnerability of Asian economies to energy supply and price shocks resulting from conflict in the Middle East, specifically focusing on the risks of fossil fuel lock-in. It argues that reliance on imported oil and LNG exposes the region to economic instability, inflation, and geopolitical fragmentation, and advocates for an accelerated transition to renewable energy and regional grid integration to ensure long-term energy security.

This report by Ember examines the risks associated with integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the power sector, specifically within the ASEAN region. It details technical, operational, and governance challenges—including data limitations, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and regulatory gaps—while providing policy recommendations to ensure a safe and efficient energy transition.

This report by Ember examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) in ASEAN power systems. It identifies five commercially proven AI applications—forecasting, predictive maintenance, dispatch optimisation, real-time control, and dynamic line rating—that address the technical challenges of wind and solar variability to improve grid stability, reduce operational costs, and defer expensive transmission investments.

This report by Ember examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can facilitate the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) in ASEAN power systems. It identifies five key AI applications—forecasting, predictive maintenance, dispatch optimisation, real-time control, and dynamic line rating—that can reduce operational costs and emissions. While the region shows strong AI readiness, adoption is currently fragmented and limited to pilot projects. The report estimates that widespread AI adoption could save up to $67 billion and reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 400 million tonnes by 2035.

This policy brief by Ember examines the financing landscape for ASEAN's energy transition, highlighting a significant investment gap and the varying roles of bilateral partners like China, Japan, and the United States. It argues that the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship provides a strategic opportunity to coordinate regional industrial strategies—such as Indonesia's nickel downstreaming and Viet Nam's solar manufacturing—to move the region up the clean energy value chain.

A report by Ember analyzing the current state and outlook of Indonesia's coal sector, noting a shift from record production levels toward a projected decline in 2025 driven by weakening export demand from major partners like China and India.

The Taxonomy Roadmap Initiative Progress Report (November 2025) details the global expansion of sustainable finance taxonomies, noting that over 60 are currently in use or development. While high-level interoperability is increasing—with 64% using ISIC-based sector structures and 100% of published taxonomies covering climate mitigation—granular alignment remains difficult. The report highlights that implementation is still in early stages in emerging markets and announces the launch of new tools at COP30, including the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Mapper and Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability, to catalyze cross-border capital flows.

The 'Principles for Taxonomy Interoperability' report, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative in November 2025, provides a framework for sustainable finance taxonomy developers and policymakers to ensure that national and regional taxonomies are comparable and interoperable. Launched under the Taxonomy Roadmap Initiative at COP29, the document outlines seven high-level principles designed to reduce barriers to cross-border capital flows by establishing common design features, terminology, and implementation strategies while respecting jurisdictional priorities.

The 'Princípios de Interoperabilidade Taxonômica' report, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative in November 2025, provides a high-level framework to help sustainable finance taxonomy developers and policymakers increase the comparability and cross-border flow of capital. It introduces seven principles designed to align national and regional taxonomies through common languages, scientific baselines, and collaborative international efforts, supporting the broader 'Taxonomy Roadmap Initiative' launched at COP29.

Smart grid investments in ASEAN could create up to 650,000 jobs and attract global industrial investment by providing reliable, low-carbon energy. To scale from current pilot projects to a regional system, the report suggests a dual-track approach: regional harmonisation of technical standards and national focus on financial cost recovery. The total investment need for the region is estimated at $4-10.7 billion.

The report outlines the investment requirements for smart grid deployment across the ASEAN region to support clean energy integration. It estimates that ASEAN needs between $4 billion and $10.7 billion in investments, depending on the chosen pathway, to improve reliability, reduce curtailment, and enable regional power trade.

This report by Ember examines the critical role of grid reliability and modernization in sustaining the economic growth of the ASEAN region. It argues that while the region has made progress in reducing outage durations, the rapid expansion of variable renewable energy (VRE) requires a transition from basic grid modernization to 'smart grids' incorporating digital intelligence and demand-side flexibility to avoid significant economic losses and energy curtailment.

This report by Ember argues that smart grids are essential for ASEAN to integrate increasing shares of renewable energy, maintain industrial competitiveness, and reduce economic losses from power outages. It estimates that investments between $4 billion and $10.7 billion are required to modernize the region's power systems, which could in turn create up to 649,000 jobs and unlock $2.3 billion in annual economic value by 2040.

This research paper by Poppy S. Winanti analyzes the responses of ASEAN member states to unprecedented U.S. tariffs imposed starting in April 2025. The author details how countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand have prioritized pragmatic negotiation and market diversification over retaliation due to their heavy export reliance on the U.S. market, while Singapore has adopted a cautious wait-and-see approach.

This report by Ember examines the policy and procurement drivers necessary for the decarbonisation of data centres in the ASEAN region, highlighting the need for diverse renewable energy procurement options and national sustainability frameworks.

This report by Ember examines the energy demands and decarbonisation pathways for data centres in the ASEAN region, focusing on the intersection of AI-driven growth, tropical cooling requirements, and the availability of renewable energy.

This report examines the rapid expansion of data centres in Southeast Asia and the resulting pressure on power grids. It highlights that while the region is becoming a global hotspot for digital infrastructure, the reliance on fossil-fuel-dominated grids threatens climate targets, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

This report examines the impact of rapid data centre growth in ASEAN on power sector emissions, highlighting that while these facilities could account for 2% to 30% of national power demand by 2030, approximately 30% of this demand could be met by solar and wind power without battery storage. The authors argue for urgent policy interventions, energy efficiency improvements, and expanded renewable procurement options to prevent the digital boom from derailing regional energy transition goals.

This briefing analyzes public clean energy investments and climate policies from China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia within the ASEAN region, specifically focusing on Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It details the dominance of China in overall public funding and specific technologies like wind and hydropower, Japan's leadership in geothermal and solar, and the strategic approaches of South Korea and Australia to integrate into the region's green economy.