The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), supported by the USAID Southeast Asia Smart Power Program (SPP), successfully hosted the 2nd Inter-Regional Energy Forum (IREF) as part of the ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2024 (AEBF-24), held alongside the 42nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM).
Building on the success of the inaugural IREF held in Bali during AEBF 2023, the 2nd IREF underscores ACE’s commitment to strengthening inter-regional partnerships and advancing the global energy transition. This forum supports cross-regional collaboration through joint projects, policy dialogues, and the sharing of best practices.
With the theme “Balancing Regional Energy Trilemma to Support Socio-economic Developments and Net Zero Targets”, this year’s forum brought together four major energy organizations from Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia.
IREF serves as a platform to enhance inter-regional collaboration in tackling global energy transition challenges. Through the exchange of knowledge and strategies, the forum emphasizes the importance of safe, affordable, and sustainable energy to support socio-economic development.
Grayson Heffner, Director of Utility Modernization and Energy Trade at USAID SPP, expressed pride in SPP’s role in supporting Southeast Asia’s economic growth and development through a secure, market-based energy sector. He also highlighted SPP’s enthusiasm for participating in the IREF initiative, stating, “We are pleased to participate in the IREF initiative, which enables dialogue between regional energy entities on the key challenges and solutions to multilateral power cooperation and energy resilience in the region and around the world.”
The forum spanned two days. The first day featured a closed roundtable discussion among ACE, the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), the African Energy Commission (AFREC), and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Energy Centre (SAARC EC), coinciding with the 42nd AMEM, and focused on best practices to strengthen regional energy connectivity.
The second session, held as a public panel during AEBF-24, brought together energy experts to present the latest strategies and insights, advancing energy security, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability through comprehensive dialogue.
