연구정보
[외교/안보] The Battery of Southeast Asia: Challenges to Building a Regional Transmission Grid
라오스 국외연구자료 연구보고서 - Foreign Policy Research Insititute 발간일 : 2024-04-01 등록일 : 2024-04-18 원문링크
The mighty Mekong River, a life source for millions across Southeast Asia, now faces an existential threat. An ambitious regional plan developed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) incorporates the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) as the “Battery of Asia” to generate hydroelectric power for export across the region. However, this massive engineering project could trigger severe ecological consequences, disrupting vital sediment flows, devastating wild fisheries that feed over 60 million people, and increasing the risk of droughts, floods, and saltwater intrusion that threaten the global rice basket of the Mekong Delta.
Southeast Asian nations face immense pressure to develop renewable energy as they balance economic growth with goals of net-zero emissions (NZE) by 2050 under the Paris Agreement. While ASEAN has identified hydropower exports from Laos through an integrated regional transmission grid as a way to balance growth with reduced emissions, this strategy overlooks the significant environmental impacts of large dams. To truly achieve sustainable energy security, ASEAN must facilitate a diverse renewable energy mix beyond hydropower dependence and foster transboundary cooperation – especially with upstream power China – through strengthened regional governance mechanisms. On the other hand, the US has strategic interests in promoting a just energy transition in this globally vital region through increased investment and technical capacity building.
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