(KPL/VNA) The 43rd ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME), held from June 16–18, marked a significant milestone as member states reached consensus on key strategic agendas to deepen regional energy cooperation.

Datuk Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli, Secretary General of Malaysia's Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), announced that the meeting finalised several important documents, notably the enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) for 2026–2030. The enhanced APG MoU will serve as a blueprint for cross-border electricity grid projects and is expected to be signed at the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Kuala Lumpur this October.

Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.

Additional discussions covered the ASEAN Renewable Energy Long-term Roadmap, the ASEAN Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) framework, and implementation frameworks for nuclear power plants (NPPs).

Speaking on Malaysia’s role in the region’s energy transition, Mad Zaidi highlighted the country’s modern infrastructure, favourable investment environment, and supportive policies as key advantages that position Malaysia to lead ASEAN’s clean energy transition and become the region’s premier hub for green energy.

The meeting, hosted by PETRA, welcomed around 250 participants, including senior energy officials from the 10 ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste as an observer, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Centre for Energy, and several ASEAN dialogue partners.

KPL