Wind turbines stand atop hills in southern Laos on Nov 17. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.
A regional electricity grid, nuclear power and ramping up renewables and electric vehicles are among the ways Southeast Asia could boost energy security while also meeting rising energy demand, the head of the International Energy Agency said in June.
The energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran has highlighted just how exposed Southeast Asia is to costly energy imports and the need for urgent, bold steps to shield the region from future shocks, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol told The Straits Times.
The region is at an inflection point and what it decides now on energy policies will have a profound impact not only on its future but the rest of the world, Birol said on the eve of the release of the IEA's Southeast Asia Energy Outlook 2026 report.
