2020 Energy Security Workshop

Powering Southeast Asia: Meeting the Region’s Electricity Needs

On July 22, 2020, NBR and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars co-hosted the sixteenth annual Energy Security Workshop, “Powering Southeast Asia: Meeting the Region’s Electricity Needs,” an invitation-only virtual event based out of Washington, D.C.

Southeast Asia has been among the regions with the fastest-growing energy demand, rising 6% annually over the last two decades. The inevitable result has been a severe deterioration in air quality and significantly higher carbon emissions across the region. While environmental outcomes increasingly factor into energy policy decisions, the past twenty years have shown that countries prioritize affordability and security when choosing fuel for power generation.

Current national plans suggest that coal is likely to continue to be cheap and abundant, retaining and even expanding its key role in the region’s power mix for the next decade. Energy policymakers must balance the demand for more energy with the desire for a cleaner grid. At the same time, they must also navigate the geopolitics of China and the United States seeking to influence Southeast Asia’s energy development.

Kindly note that the Energy Security Workshop is held under Chatham House Rule.

Topics

Southeast Asia’s Power Generation Outlook and the Geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific
Investing in “High-Quality Infrastructure”
Building a Resilient and Sustainable Renewable Power Mix

Speakers

Jeanne Choi, The National Bureau of Asian Research
David Elzinga, Asian Development Bank
Clara Gillispie, The National Bureau of Asian Research
Han Phoumin, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
Mikkal E. Herberg, The National Bureau of Asian Research; University of California – San Diego
Nao Kawakami, Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Michael Kugelman, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Prashanth Parameswaran, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Cecilia Tam, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Nikos Tsafos, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Courtney Weatherby, Stimson Center

Event Co-Hosts