South-east Asian electricity gaps need finance remedy

Subject

Electrification in South-east Asia.

Significance

Indonesia's president has ordered a review of a government power-plant-building scheme, the energy minister said on May 13, amid concerns that construction and land-rights-related delays will cause the 2019 implementation schedule to be missed. Indonesia's example highlights the broader challenges facing South-east Asia in meeting medium-term electrification goals.

Impacts

• Uneven regional electrification will hinder some ASEAN states' industrialisation; raising productivity will be hard.
• Power plants and factories will need energy efficiency upgrades.
• Regional electrification could increase greenhouse gases, and see some social backlash.