ASEAN Members Need to Address Challenges Faced By Increase In Demand For Energy

MANILA, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is gearing towards high economic growth and member countries need to also address challenges faced by the increase in demand for energy. Philippines’ Secretary of the Department of Energy, Alfonso Cusi, said as fossil fuels were depleting, there was a need to look for non-conventional energy sources to help provide competitively-priced, stable and sustainable energy. Cusi said this at the opening of the three-day 35th ASEAN Energy Ministers Meeting (AMEM35), which started Tuesday. ASEAN, he said, has set a target of 23 per cent for renewable energy by 2025 to reduce dependency on the traditional power supply which caused massive pollution. The target was achieved in 2013, he added. He said China was currently Asia's largest renewable energy producer, with Malaysia the world's third-largest producer of the solar panel. “This shows that there were a lot of business and investment opportunities in this part of the region for the renewable energy,” Cusi said. He urged more investors to come on board to invest in ASEAN energy sector as rising demand would provide huge potential returns. Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, Maximus Johnity Ongkili, is leading the Malaysian delegation to the meeting. -- BERNAMA