Regional energy leaders are pushing to realize the $764-billion power grid as they call for stronger ties between nations in Southeast Asia amid rising electricity demand.
Warit Rattanachuen, deputy governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have been beefing up their local electricity generation capacity, including grid networks and fuel resources.
‘They can share the reserve capacity, including the renewable energy capacity if they have their own, such as Indonesia and Sumatra. There are so many renewable energy resources there that can be shared through the Asean Power Grid,’ he said at Enlit Asia 2026 on Tuesday.
Ignatus Rendrouoko, executive vice president of distribution and operations of Jawa Bali, shared a similar sentiment, saying countries with higher reserves would have ‘the capability to serve electricity requirements for each domestic use.’
Akihiro Ondo, managing director and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific, also said that interconnectivity efforts, such as the massive Asean Power Grid, could provide ‘further resilience of electricity system across the region.’
In a separate media briefing, Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Asean power grid was ‘very much possible.’ However, deployment will not be immediate, as countries need to finalize bilateral talks and investments.
In October 2025, Asean said in a statement the project would require $764 billion to build the transmission and power generation, with high levels of variable renewable energy adoption.
Meanwhile, Kao Kim Hourn, Asean secretary-general, said at the time that the organization hopes to fully fire up the grid, allowing electricity exchange between Asean members, by 2045.
For now, the cross-border interconnection capacity is at 7.7 gigawatts. The organization wants to double the figure by 2040.To help raise funds, Asean launched a new financing initiative with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank Group.