Assessment of the Greater Mekong Subregion Energy Sector Development: Progress, Prospects, and Regional Investment Priorities

This report analyzes the Greater Mekong Subregion’s current energy situation and the challenges and opportunities it faces, given its resource endowments and development efforts. The creation of a Regional Power Coordination Center is a critical step forward, but should be matched by supportive infrastructure, national electricity market reform, and workable rules for cross-country trade. It endorses the 500 kilovolt backbone grid for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, interconnecting Thailand and Viet Nam, to form the nucleus of the regional market. The report proposes support for the Subregional Energy Forum to drive regional policy creation through stronger capacity for policy analysis.