ASEAN reaches consensus on enhanced power grid

MANILA — ASEAN member states have reached a consensus on an enhanced memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), according to Energy Secretary Sharon Garin on Thursday.

Garin said the agreement was reached during the final ministerial meeting of the 44th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM), hosted by the Philippines.

“We’re quite happy to convey that there has been a consensus on the enhanced MOU. All countries have agreed on the enhanced MOU, and we will await the completion of all the signatures,” Garin said.

Garin described the agreement as a “landmark accomplishment” of ASEAN’s 2026 agenda.

“The agreement will actually signify the united front of all the member states in developing the ASEAN Power Grid,” she said.

“This is just an agreement. And then we have to work on the financing of the studies, technical study, the financing and regulatory. There’s more work to complete it. It’s a long-term plan,” she added.

The Philippines and Japan have also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) aimed at strengthening the Philippines’ preparations for nuclear power development, particularly in technical expertise, institutional capacity, nuclear safety and responsible development.

Garin added that another key priority of the ASEAN energy agenda is petroleum security.

“For the regional stockpiling, we are working with Japan and other possible partners. We’re doing the feasibility study and all the other studies necessary to determine if we establish it in the Philippines, and if we do, where and how the logistics will be,” she said.

“What we want is if there is any company that wants to store the crude, the oil, the petroleum products here in the Philippines, in case of any emergency or any events that are deemed necessary, then we will have a condition that the country gets priority on the stocks,” she added.

Under the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship, Garin said that among the major outputs presented during the 44th AMEM were the launch of the 9th ASEAN Energy Outlook, the completion of studies on ASEAN interconnector power-plant financing and human resources development, and an assessment of carbon capture, utilization and storage.