Jakarta, 13 August 2026: ERIA, together with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), convened the Private Sector Roundtable on ASEAN Energy Crisis Response and Transformation in support of the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship 2026.

The roundtable brought together government representatives, business leaders, and researchers to discuss how ASEAN can respond to energy market disruptions while turning current challenges into opportunities for longer-term economic resilience and transformation.

Opening Session

Opening the roundtable, ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe informed participants that ERIA is undertaking a study on regional oil stockpiling as mandated by the ASEAN Leaders. The study examines policy options as well as the technical, institutional, and commercial requirements for regional stockpiling, and explores how existing ASEAN mechanisms could work more effectively in close partnership with the private sector.

Atty. Allan B. Gepty, Undersecretary for the International Trade Group at the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, noted that major structural shifts in the energy landscape were continuing despite the current crisis. He highlighted the rapid expansion of AI data centres, the global shift towards electrification, and stronger commitments to the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) as key developments reshaping the region’s energy requirements and economic security.

Prof. Mari Elka Pangestu, the Indonesian President’s Special Envoy for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation, noted that the energy crisis associated with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz had highlighted the region’s vulnerability. The effects had also spilled over into supply chains, including petrochemicals, plastics, fertilisers, and food.

Scene-setting

Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Director for Energy Policy at ERIA and Head of Asia Zero Emission Center, emphasised that energy security is also an economic and business concern. When energy supplies are disrupted, the effects can quickly spread through transportation, manufacturing, and logistics, driving up food prices, inflation, and government spending. He stressed that the question was not only how ASEAN should respond to the current crisis, but also how it could use the experience to build more resilient economies.

Dr Yose Rizal Damuri, Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), argued that the disruption should provide momentum for transformation. He identified three priority areas: accelerating the transition to renewable and clean energy; developing green energy manufacturing supply chains in the region; and advancing electrification and energy efficiency.

Ms Shinta W. Kamdani, Chair of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO), outlined five key priorities identified by the business community: greater certainty of gas supply; faster development of gas infrastructure; flexible energy systems combining gas with renewables; stable and predictable government policies; and new growth opportunities through renewable-based electricity exports.

Session 1: Critical Inputs and Industrial Resilience

The first session, moderated by Dr Yose Rizal Damuri, explored whether the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA) remains fit for purpose. Participants discussed how far buffer-stock arrangements should extend, whether coverage should reach beyond petroleum, and how such arrangements could be financed and operationalised.

Participants also called for ASEAN to play a more active role in facilitating adjustments already under way. They stressed that continued dialogue amongst government officials, businesses, researchers, and ASEAN institutions would help develop more practical solutions to the region’s energy security challenges.

Session 2: Energy Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Industrial Clusters

Moderated by Dr Han Phoumin, Senior Energy Economist at ERIA, the second session focused on regional energy infrastructure. Participants examined the factors slowing progress on the APG, including conflicting regulations, the absence of a unified power development plan, unresolved issues such as wheeling charges and third-party access, insufficient demand and off-take guarantees, and political and sovereignty considerations.

Participants proposed starting with bilateral and sub-regional pilot projects, aggregating demand to make energy projects more investable, and involving the private sector directly in APG task forces. The discussion also extended beyond the APG to the broader infrastructure needed to strengthen the region’s resilience to future disruptions.

Closing Session

Mr Rifki Weno, Executive Director of ASEAN-BAC, cited ASEAN’s QR code payment system as an example of successful collaboration between the private sector and central banks to develop reliable regional systems. He emphasised that involving market participants at an early stage can help ensure that projects are both technically sound and attractive to investors.

The roundtable demonstrated the value of closer public–private collaboration in addressing ASEAN’s energy security challenges. ERIA and ASEAN-BAC reaffirmed their commitment to supporting practical solutions that strengthen energy resilience, accelerate the energy transition, and contribute to ASEAN’s long-term economic stability.