Part 1 of Energy Watch’s conversation with Dr Nuki Agya Utama , the discussion explored how ASEAN is navigating policy alignment, financing, and implementation challenges in its energy transition. In this second instalment, the focus turns to the human dimension of the transition, from community engagement and energy access to the emerging technologies and disruptions that could reshape the region’s energy landscape.
Ensuring a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition
Beyond infrastructure and investment, ASEAN’s energy transition must ultimately be measured by its impact on people. Expanding renewable energy and modernising infrastructure are only part of the equation. The transition must narrow persistent gaps in energy access, support communities adjusting to new energy systems, and ensure that the benefits of decarbonisation are widely shared. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensuring that the transition to cleaner energy does not deepen existing inequalities.
Reliable and affordable energy remains a prerequisite for economic opportunity, social development, and resilience. For many communities, particularly those in underserved areas, the energy transition must deliver tangible improvements in access and affordability, alongside emissions reductions and improved system efficiency.
ENERGY WATCH (EW): How do you see the 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship advancing a just and inclusive energy transition across the region?
Dr Nuki Agya Utama (DNAU): The Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship provides an opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation on energy security and resilience, which are essential foundations for a just and inclusive energy transition. Recent concerns over oil supply disruptions, including developments in the Strait of Hormuz, have underscored the importance of strengthening regional preparedness, particularly as supply disruptions and price volatility can disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.
In this context, ERIA is undertaking an ASEAN-wide study on oil stockpiling strategies, including exploring voluntary cooperation mechanisms such as joint stockpiling and oil ticketing, alongside potential pilot arrangements. These efforts aim to strengthen energy supply resilience and mitigate the impacts of potential disruptions, thereby supporting affordable and reliable energy access while ASEAN continues to pursue its decarbonisation ambitions.
EW: A just energy transition requires deliberate attention to the social and economic impacts of change, particularly for communities and workers whose livelihoods are tied to traditional energy systems. What strategies is the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) advocating to foster awareness and local ownership of sustainable energy initiatives, particularly in communities that are new to renewable energy?
DNAU: ERIA actively promotes public participation, knowledge sharing, and capacity building to ensure that communities are informed and empowered in adopting sustainable solutions. The institution has also published studies examining public attitudes and willingness to pay for renewable energy and clean technologies across ASEAN. The studies suggested that people are far more likely to support and adopt clean technologies when they clearly understand the environmental, economic, and social benefits and when solutions are tailored to local conditions.
Community-based approaches are increasingly being adopted, with local communities involved in planning and operating renewable systems while partnerships with schools, universities, and civil society help integrate energy transition into broader education and skills development.
One example is the implementation of Sustainable Energy for Islands and Distributed Off-Grid Systems (SEIDO), which is exploring potential pilot activities in Indonesia and the Philippines, which demonstrates how off-grid clean energy systems can be designed around local livelihoods to strengthen social acceptance and durability.
Looking ahead, ERIA continues to prioritise social acceptance and public trust through workshops, training, and knowledge-sharing platforms that connect governments, industries, and communities.
ASEAN Initiatives to Foster Energy Integration
Alongside physical interconnection, ASEAN is also embracing technological innovation as a critical enabler of integration. Smart grid technologies are being introduced to improve demand-side management and grid stability, using real-time data and advanced metering to respond more dynamically to changing energy flows. Energy storage solutions, like battery systems and pumped hydro storage, are gaining prominence as tools to address the intermittency of renewable energy and enhance system flexibility. Further, emerging technologies such as green hydrogen are beginning to feature more prominently in ASEAN’s long-term energy strategies.
EW: From your international project experience with United Nations (UN) agencies, what key insights can be applied to ASEAN’s energy transition, particularly regarding the adoption of emerging technologies like green hydrogen, smart grids, and energy storage? How can these global learnings be effectively implemented within the unique ASEAN context?
DNAU: One important lesson from international projects with UN agencies is that global best practices are most effective when they are tailored to local realities and implemented with strong country ownership. In ASEAN, this means not only adopting technologies but also embedding them in projects that directly support communities, utilities, and industries. Such partnerships are vital in helping to unlock blended finance, de-risk investments, and strengthen institutional capacity – all of which are critical for utilities and governments that face budget constraints but carry the responsibility of ensuring affordable, reliable energy for millions.
The Future of ASEAN’s Energy Transition
Reflecting on ASEAN’s accelerating pace of energy transition, the region will need to navigate an increasingly complex landscape shaped by technological change, shifting global dynamics, and rising climate risks. In this evolving environment, forward-looking perspectives on resilience, cooperation and long-term strategy offer valuable insights into how ASEAN can translate ambition into action.
EW: Over the long term, what potential disruptions – such as emerging technologies, geopolitical shifts or climate risks – should ASEAN prepare for to ensure a resilient and adaptable energy transition?
DNAU: ASEAN’s energy transition will not unfold in a linear way, and the region must be prepared for disruptions across three dimensions: technology, geopolitics and climate. Some emerging technologies may mature faster than expected, although their commercial readiness will continue to depend on cost, infrastructure, safety, demand, and country-specific conditions. While they create exciting opportunities, risks may emerge if ASEAN does not develop compatible, interoperable, or mutually recognised standards and safety protocols, where appropriate in time to adopt them responsibly.
Political and economic shifts are another source of external shocks. The volatility of markets as seen with LNG price spikes, and trade policies such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) or potential tariff changes in major economies can affect ASEAN’s industrial competitiveness. These changes emphasise the need for stronger regional coordination to maintain energy security while advancing decarbonisation. Recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz have further underscored the importance of energy security, demonstrating how disruptions can affect not only energy markets but also trade, logistics, supply chains, and broader economic activity. In response to these growing uncertainties, The Center has supported the ASEAN region through its Strategic Oil Stockpiling studies and pilot initiatives on integrated oil security, helping to strengthen regional preparedness and coordinated responses to potential supply disruptions.
To address these uncertainties, the region must remain flexible and proactive. This includes strengthening strategic stockpiling, regional emergency coordination, and supply diversification, while enabling temporary cross-border energy reallocation during severe disruptions. Under APAEC, continued development of the APG, together with gas infrastructure, LNG connectivity, storage, and the broader framework, can strengthen supply diversification and regional resilience. Through the Asia Zero Emission Center, ERIA is developing evidence-based studies and transition finance frameworks that give Member States adaptable policy and investment tools. By also engaging with global partners such as UNDP, ADB, and others, ASEAN can ensure that disruptive events are not setbacks but opportunities to innovate, strengthen cooperation, and accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition.
EW: Reflecting on your journey in the energy sector, what message would you convey to ASEAN leaders about the importance of a sustainable energy future?
DNAU: It is important to note that pursuing a sustainable energy future is not about choosing between growth and decarbonisation; it is about achieving both. Our region is growing rapidly, with rising energy demand and diverse national circumstances, but we share a common interest – energy security, affordability, and sustainability. These goals should be treated as complementary rather than competing, if ASEAN is to build a future where ASEAN remains competitive, resilient, and inclusive.
Equally, we must remember that communities are at the heart of this transition.
I’m also of the view that the energy transition is about strengthening foundations that make those targets achievable. Hence, financing must be predictable and accessible, especially for countries with fiscal constraints. Equally, we must remember that communities are at the heart of this transition. ASEAN Member States must also be prepared for disruption, from emerging technologies, global market shifts and climate risks as the strength of ASEAN lies in its ability to adapt, learn, and act together. By embedding inclusivity, regional solidarity, and pragmatism into our energy transition, we can prove that economic growth and sustainability are not in conflict, but are the twin engines of a just and prosperous future.
My call to ASEAN leaders is simple: lead with ambition, act with pragmatism, and focus not just on targets but on building the infrastructure, systems, people, and policies that will turn vision into reality. That is how ASEAN can show the world that a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy future is within reach.
As ASEAN moves forward, the success of its energy transition will ultimately depend on how well the region aligns ambition with practical implementation, regional cooperation and long-term resilience. By strengthening energy systems, investing in connectivity and enabling supportive policy and financing frameworks, ASEAN can ensure that the transition delivers tangible benefits for its people and economies. In doing so, the region advances the broader objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.