USAID PROJECT TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

USAID PROJECT TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

On September 8, President Barack Obama announced the U.S. Agency for
International Development's (USAID) new initiative to help countries in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region attract greater and
more diverse sources of investment for renewable energy sources.

Highlighted at last week's ASEAN summit as a new commitment under President
Obama's US-ASEAN Connect strategy, the USAID Clean Power Asia project is a
multi-million dollar effort over five years to increase the supply of
grid-connected renewable energy in ASEAN.

"This project will help advance clean energy in ASEAN by supporting a rapid
transition to renewable energy," said Beth Paige, director of the USAID
Regional Development Mission for Asia. "In this project, we will work with
Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN institutions to integrate renewables
into their energy planning."

The project will initially focus on the Lower Mekong countries of Cambodia,
Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, and will also have a series of regional
activities involving ASEAN.

USAID Clean Power Asia will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by
increasing the share of power produced from renewable resources, and thereby
reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuel sources for power. It is
expected that the project will help mobilize $750 million of new investment
in renewable energy systems, at least 500 MW of new clean energy generating
capacity and result in reductions of at least three million metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions.

USAID Clean Power Asia will also help countries establish and refine
national renewable energy targets that support their commitments under the
Paris Climate Agreement, and will assist in integrating these targets into
their national power development plans.

USAID will work with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S.
Department of State and bilateral USAID missions in the region, and help
build relationships with key counterparts in each country including
departments of energy, regulatory commissions, and developers, generators
and distributors of power in each country. USAID Clean Power Asia is
implemented by Abt Associates in association with a number of regional and
international organizations.

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Ref:
https://www.usaid.gov/asia-regional/press-releases/sep-13-2016-usaid-project
-promote-renewable-energy-investment

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com