Photo 1. Delegates in the 44th SOME on 15 June 2026.
Source: ASEAN Secretariat
The 44th Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) and its Associated Meetings were convened virtually from 15–18 June 2026 under the Chairmanship of the Department of Energy (DOE) of the Republic of the Philippines. The Meetings brought together Senior Officials from all ASEAN Member States (AMS), representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), ASEAN Specialised Energy Bodies (SEB) and Sub-sector Networks (SSN), including the Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA) and the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), Dialogue Partners, international organisations, to review regional energy cooperation and advance the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026–2030.
Photo 2. Representatives from the DOE, ACE, and the ASEAN Secretariat in DOE’s Office in Manila, Philippines.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of the seven (7) programme areas of the APAEC 2026-2030, with technical updates and policy discussions across its seven programme areas: ASEAN Power Grid (APG); Oil And Gas Connectivity, Security, and Sustainability (OGCSS); Clean Coal Transformation (CCTR); Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C), Renewable Energy (RE); Regional Energy Policy and Planning (REPP); and Civilian Nuclear Energy (CNE). The discussion also covered progress on the 2026 Priority Economic Deliverables or Energy Annual Priorities under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship 2026, reaffirming the importance of APAEC 2026-2030 implementation while strengthening regional preparedness in response to evolving global energy developments.
In the meeting, ACE, in its capacity as the Secretariat for the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security (APSA), provided updates on the progress of regional initiatives. Dato' Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE, presented updates on the progress of the APG, including ongoing projects and upcoming priority initiatives. He also provided updates on the operationalisation of the APSA, highlighting follow-up actions undertaken in accordance with the guidance from the Special ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) on Middle East. Furthermore, ACE reaffirmed its commitment to supporting ASEAN Member States in advancing regional energy cooperation through the implementation of APAEC 2026-2030.
In the following days, the 44th SOME Associated Meetings convened consultations with ASEAN's Dialogue Partners and international organisations through various cooperation mechanisms, including the 25th SOME+3 Energy Policy Governing Group (EPGG), the 31st East Asia Summit Energy Cooperation Task Force (EAS ECTF), the 27th SOME – Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan Consultation, the 17th SOME–Russia Consultation, the 17th SOME–U.S. Consultation, the 17th SOME – International Energy Agency (IEA) and the 8th SOME – International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Dialogue, the 4th ASEAN–Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Energy Dialogue, and the 4th ASEAN–European Union (EU) Energy Dialogue.
The outcomes and recommendations from the 44th SOME will be submitted for consideration at the 44th AMEM, scheduled to take place in 5-9 October in Manila, Philippines.
