SIEW Ministerial Dialogue: Strategies to Build Resilient, Interconnected Energy Systems

Contributed by Shini Foo and Lee Mian Rong, EMA

Southeast Asia now sits at the centre of the global energy transition—driven by rising demand, accelerating industrialisation, and a pivotal opportunity to prove that energy resilience and decarbonisation can advance together.

At the SIEW Summit, Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA) and Francesco La Camera, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) set the context for the region’s energy developments.

The IEA's Dr Birol shared his views on how countries can ensure energy security in the face of growing global electricity demand—driven by growth in data centres, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and cooling needs. Flexible and reliable power systems are more critical than ever.

Mr La Camera of IRENA said distributed energy systems can shape the next phase of the transition. Combining renewables with hydrogen, biomass, and other sustainable fuels enhances flexibility, resilience, and shared progress towards a secure energy future.

This was followed by a Ministerial Dialogue featuring H.E. Sharon S. Garin, Secretary, Department of Energy, of the Philippines; Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Regional Development; Ports; Science and Innovation; Medical Research; and Kimberley Region, Western Australia, and Mr La Camera, moderated by Puah Kok Keong, Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore.

The panellists exchanged views on how Southeast Asian countries can focus on strengthening their national foundations for a low-carbon energy transition. This involves modernising domestic grid infrastructure, expanding large-scale energy storage, developing market flexibility to improve reliability and integrate variable renewables, and driving regional cooperation to accelerate collective progress.

H.E. Ms Garin of the Philippines said that regional connectivity is central to long-term energy resilience in the region. As an example, she noted that the Philippines plans to link with Malaysia as a step toward advancing the ASEAN Power Grid.

The Hon. Mr Dawson also highlighted Western Australia’s efforts to support Asia’s clean energy transition: “We’re here to help provide Asia with clean energy such as green hydrogen and low-carbon products like green ammonia and green steel,” he said.

Stay tuned as the conversation evolves throughout the day. Follow @SIEW_sg on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) for the latest insights.