SIEW Energy Insights

Puah Kok Keong, Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority

As Southeast Asia advances toward a more sustainable and resilient energy future, regional power interconnectivity has emerged as a critical enabler of decarbonisation and energy resilience. Cross-border electricity trading and grid infrastructure offers a path to optimise renewable energy flows, enhance energy security, and connect generation sources with demand centres across the region.

This panel will explore the current progress and future potential of regional interconnectivity, with a spotlight on the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and bilateral/multilateral energy exchange initiatives such as the Lao PDR–Thailand–Malaysia–Singapore (LTMS) Power Integration Project. The panel will also discuss the role of regional interconnectivity as an impetus for strengthening domestic and cross-border transmission infrastructure and facilitating the development and integration of renewable generation sources.

Presented by:

Speaker:

Dr Owen Chen, Chief Technology Officer & Vice President, Concord New Energy Group

Booming AI Data Center Requirements for Renewable Energy

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing has led to an unprecedented surge in data center energy consumption. As AI models grow larger and more complex, their computational demands require vast amounts of electricity, raising concerns about sustainability and carbon emissions. The AI industry’s energy demands are accelerating the shift toward renewables, but its integration faces significant hurdles.

Challenges of the Renewable Energy Projects Development for AI

The exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has created an urgent need for sustainable power sources to support energy-hungry data centers. While renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) is the most viable solution, its scalability, grid stability, and technological innovation remain critical hurdles. Overcoming these challenges requires coordinated efforts — advancements in storage, smarter grid infrastructure, streamlined policies, and public-private partnerships. Without solutions, the AI industry risks either energy shortages or reliance on fossil fuels, undermining its environmental goals.

Solutions and Practices

A multiple coordinated strategies — combining tech innovation, policy support, and industry collaboration is critical to meet AI’s energy demands sustainably. By investing in storage, diversifying clean energy sources, and optimising efficiency, the AI sector can align its growth with global climate goals.

As renewable energy penetration increases, energy systems must evolve to address intermittency, peak demand, and system balancing. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have become essential for enhancing grid flexibility, enabling renewable integration, and maintaining reliability across evolving power networks.

This session will explore how BESS technologies are being deployed across markets, their role in ancillary services and frequency regulation, and the emerging business models driving adoption. It will also look at enabling policies, investment frameworks, and system-level planning to maximise storage value.

In a time of rapid change across the global energy landscape, natural gas continues to play a critical role in supporting system reliability, affordability, and cleaner energy development. As countries diversify their energy mixes and retire more carbon-intensive fuels, natural gas stands out as a key enabler of stability and flexibility.

This panel will examine how natural gas can serve as a cornerstone in the energy transition — complementing the growth of renewables, supporting industrial transformation, and unlocking opportunities through innovation in infrastructure and low-carbon technologies.

Subsea transmission cables are fast becoming critical infrastructure for regional power integration, enabling cross-border electricity trade, enhancing energy security, and unlocking access to cleaner energy sources. Yet these projects face unique challenges — from high upfront costs and long payback periods to complex regulatory, geopolitical, and technical risks.

This panel will explore the financial models, risk-sharing mechanisms, and enabling policies needed to accelerate investment in subsea interconnectors. It will examine real-world case studies, investor perspectives, and the role of multilateral development banks and public-private partnerships in driving bankability and scale.