New Energy World™
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Why the IEA is boosting focus on Southeast Asia’s energy transition
3/12/2025
8 min read
Feature
The International Energy Agency (IEA) opened its first regional office outside Paris at the end of 2024. Its choice of Singapore for the new Regional Cooperation Centre reflects both the city-state’s status as a financial and energy hub and Southeast Asia’s rising strategic importance. Charlie Bush reports.
The Centre's mission is to support Southeast Asian countries in pursuing their energy policy priorities to drive economic development and ensure a secure, affordable and sustainable energy future for the region.
According to Sue-Ern Tan, Head of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre, electricity demand growth in Southeast Asia in 2024 was over 70% higher than the global average. It is expected to continue outpacing global demand growth in the coming years due to economic growth, a rising population, urbanisation and increased electrification.
A broad mandate
The new hub acts as a focal point for policy guidance, technical assistance, training and capacity building across a wide range of priorities, from scaling up the deployment of renewables and other energy technologies, to expanding cross-border power trade and improving access to finance and investment.