Photo 1. Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE signed three-year partnership grant together with John Bruce Wells, Chief of Party of USAID Southeast Asia SPP, witnessed by Kanchana Wanichkorn, the Director of ASEAN Sectoral Development at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jisman Hutajulu, the Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and SOE Leader of Indonesia, Kate Rebholz, US ASEAN Chargé d’Affaires, and Steve Olive, USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) Mission Director. 

Jakarta, 22 June 2023 – The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is pleased to announce a groundbreaking partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southeast Asia Smart Power Program (SPP) to spearhead the clean energy agenda in the ASEAN region. ACE has joined forces with USAID SPP through its pioneering clean energy initiative, the Southeast Asia Smart Power Program (SEA SPP).

As an integral part of the 14^th ASEAN-US Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME-U.S), the signing ceremony was held on 22 June 2023 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. The ceremony was attended by the Senior Officials on Energy (SOE) Leaders of the ASEAN Member States and U.S, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), and the USAID, underscoring the strong commitment of ASEAN member countries to drive the clean energy transition in the region.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) encourages sustainable support and collaboration to ensure innovative partnerships, inclusive and sustainable financing, as well as access to necessary and effective technologies to accelerate the energy transition. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif expressed this during the opening of the 41^st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME). According to him, collaboration needs to be strengthened not only among ASEAN member countries but also with international organisations and stakeholders.

The collaboration with USAID through the SPP will empower ACE to strengthen the region’s power system by boosting regional energy trade and accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies. This partnership reflects ASEAN’s dedication to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), driving towards a sustainable energy future from an ASEAN perspective. By joining forces, ACE and USAID aim to bolster the implementation of APAEC Phase II: 2021-2025 towards accelerating sustainable energy transition in the region.

Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director of ACE, signed three-year partnership grant together with John Bruce Wells, Chief of Party of USAID Southeast Asia SPP, emphasised the significance of this partnership. Dr Nuki stated, “This collaboration with USAID through the SPP is pivotal in achieving our regional targets by 2025 and equipping ACE with the tools and resources needed to advance the implementation of the APAEC. Together, we will strive to increase clean and reliable power, reduce inefficiencies, enhance air quality, and advance climate mitigation efforts.”

This partnership with USAID SPP marks a momentous milestone in ACE’s endeavours to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable and resilient energy future in Southeast Asia. By collaborating with key stakeholders and leveraging the expertise and resources of USAID SPP, ACE is committed to drive positive change and make a lasting impact on the region’s energy transformation.

For more information about USAID SPP:

Fact Sheet: USAID Southeast Asia Smart Power Program

About ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE)

Established on 1 January 1999, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is an intergovernmental organisation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) structure that represents the 10 ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) interests in the energy sector. ACE supports the operations of Energy Subsector Networks (SSN) and Specialised Energy Bodies (SEB) under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), a blueprint for better collaboration towards upgrading energy. The Centre is guided by a Governing Council composed of Senior Officials on Energy from each AMS and a representative from the ASEAN Secretariat as an ex-officio member.

On 26 May 2015, ACE Governing Council endorsed the business plan of an Enhanced ACE; a high-performing institution and a regional centre of excellence which builds a coherent, coordinated, focused and robust energy policy agenda and strategy for ASEAN. The three key roles of the Enhanced ACE:

• As an ASEAN energy think tank to assist the AMS by identifying and surfacing innovative solutions for ASEAN’s energy challenges on policies, legal & regulatory frameworks and technologies.
• As a catalyst to unify and strengthen ASEAN energy cooperation and integration by implementing relevant capacity building programmes and projects to assist the AMS develop their energy sector.
• As the ASEAN energy data centre and knowledge hub to provide a knowledge repository for the AMS.

Keeping the region’s improvement, sustainable and harmless to the ecosystem is a fundamental concern of the ASEAN energy sector.

Hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, ACE’s office is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Media contact:

• Rinda Rufaidah, Communications Officer: [email protected]