Sarawak showcases clean energy potential at Asean energy meet
KUCHING (June 18): The 43rd Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) provided an excellent platform for Sarawak to highlight its potential leadership in the regional clean energy agenda, said Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) secretary-general Datuk Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli.
He said the meeting, which concluded today here, has allowed Sarawak to demonstrate its strengths to energy officials from across Asean.
'This meeting was a great opportunity to introduce Sarawak to Asean delegates as a state rich in natural resources and committed to renewable energy.
'It showed Sarawak is ready to play an important role in the regional energy agenda,' he told reporters after the meeting.
Held over three days from June 16, the meeting aimed to align regional energy policies and review the progress of the Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC).
Hosted by Malaysia through Petra, the event also served as a preparatory platform for the upcoming Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in October.
It brought together senior energy officials from all 10 Asean member states – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – alongside Timor-Leste as an observer.
Dialogue partners included China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the European Union.
Nearly 250 delegates participated, including representatives from the Asean Secretariat, Asean Centre for Energy (ACE), and international organisations such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), International Energy Agency (IEA), Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (ERIA), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and World Bank.
According to a statement from Petra, six high-level meetings were successfully convened during the 43rd SOME.
Key outcomes included significant progress on the Asean Power Grid initiative, with the ADB presenting its 2025–2026 work plan focused on clean energy transitions and sustainable infrastructure via innovative financing frameworks.
The 16th SOME-Russia Energy Consultation explored cooperation in oil, gas, and nuclear energy, while initiating discussions on a new energy cooperation plan for 2026–2028.
Meanwhile, the 16th SOME–United States Energy Consultation emphasised decarbonisation and the expansion of renewable energy across the region.
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