Energy SG Chief Yongping Zhai asserts in this blog that in order to maximize social and economic benefits from electrification, governments must be more aggressive in achieving universal access to electricity.

Dealing with catastrophes and pandemics relies on a lot of things, foremost of which is a stable, continuous and reliable supply of power. In this Q & A, hear the perspective of someone from the health sector that benefitted from a strong and resilient power system built through the support among many including ADB.

With expanding regional cooperation and a readily available platform, the building blocks are in place for Central Asia to achieve energy security, resilience and economic competitiveness.When countries cooperate, they prosper. Increased dialogue between nations can boost trade in goods and services, open larger markets for businesses, and strengthen energy security.

See how ADB is supporting the energy sector in the Pacific; the approaches applied, the business models develop to cater to the region’s specific needs, the innovations tried, tested and proven – to keep the lights on and the power going. For in the pacific, power is life.

Rafael, PAEN asserts that power sector reforms are critical not just in removing the fiscal burden that state-owned power utilities have become to government, but also in ensuring the sustainability of these businesses. He offers some recommendations in this blog.

CWEN’s Zhang Lei and SDOD’s Lin Lu shares the effectiveness of leveraging advanced technology in its deployment and demonstration. The High-Technology Fund supported the installation of an on-grid battery energy storage system (BESS) in Pakistan that is facing a chronic electricity crisis. The grid-connected BESS will help stabilize power supply and integrate renewables.

Following the publication of the Sector-Wide Evaluation of the Energy Policy and Program 2009-2019, the review of the Energy Policy has commenced. A dedicated-website is now accessible since 11 September to be the single source of information, updates and status of the energy policy review and associated public consultation process.

In his blog, Energy SG’s own committee Chair Ashok Bhargava discusses the opportunities that await clean energy and deeper cooperation among developing countries in the Central and West Asia region within the framework of energy trade, connectivity, and cooperation.The countries may have varying levels of development, endowment of energy resources, and needs.

The pandemic reinforces the need for reliable energy services to support healthcare. Clean, renewable power is a good place to start.COVID-19 has hit the reset button on the global economy. But at some point we will shift from emergency response into recovery mode, providing a rare opportunity for global economic retooling—an opportunity largely missed after the 2008 financial crisis.  How can we “build back better” so we’re more prepared for the next pandemic?Healthcare is the obvious place to start.

In the fragile energy scenario of small Pacific islands, contingency plans are crucial to keep the lights on during a crisis.With the coronavirus pandemic and its human tragedy affecting hundreds of thousands of people around the world, it is important to have contingency plans in place to mitigate adverse impacts on the safety and health of nations. This becomes particularly important for one specific industry: the power and energy that sustain our basic living conditions.