Khirby Serrano

The Legok Nangka waste-to-energy plant and Sarulla geothermal project remain active under AZEC. The March 15 MoC adds nuclear to a bilateral energy agenda that already spans geothermal, LNG, coal, and critical minerals.

Laos entered March 2026 with inflation already at 6.2% and limited foreign reserves. A 50% diesel price surge in six days tests the outer limits of subsidy-based price stabilization.

LNG was adopted across Southeast Asia after 2022 as a hedge against future supply shocks. That hedge has now failed twice. The region is reassessing what energy security actually requires.

No reserve release addresses the LNG gap. For gas-dependent grids in Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, the shortage is structural until Hormuz reopens.

Cape EMS Berhad is accelerating its CEB 2.0 transformation with the expansion of Cape Renewables Sdn Bhd—integrating solar PV, battery storage, and smart energy management for industrial operators across Malaysia and Southeast Asia. The pivot follows a return to profitability in Q2 FY2026 after six consecutive quarters of losses.

Thailand's parliament opened March 14 with Bhumjaithai holding a coalition majority of around 291 seats. Two energy schemes requiring prime ministerial sign-off have been on hold since December.

Peak Energy acquired nearly 10 MW of operating Singapore rooftop solar from Maiora on March 12, backed by Stonepeak's $84 billion infrastructure platform. The deal targets corporate buyers needing fixed-price locally sourced power.

Indonesia and Japan signed a critical minerals and nuclear energy cooperation pact at IPEM 2026 in Tokyo.

The Energy of Change Summit on March 10 covered generation equipment, grid infrastructure, and technology cooperation across three distinct layers of Vietnam’s power transition, all in a single announcement.

The Philippines generates 62% of its electricity from coal, with over 80% of that coal imported, meaning grid price exposure to global commodity markets extends well beyond the current LNG crisis.