With a global shift toward a sustainable and digitally driven future, Southeast Asia’s energy transition cannot rely on renewables alone. It requires a digital revolution—one that unlocks data, enhances efficiency, and connects power systems across borders.

When I joined the plenary on Digital Transformation at ENLIT Asia 2025 in Bangkok, one message stood out across all speakers: the energy transition in Southeast Asia will only succeed if we harness the full potential of data and digitalisation.

Utilities such as Aboitiz Power and PLN are already showing what the future could look like. Aboitiz Power’s CTO, Mark A. Valencia, outlined the contours of the “green digital utility”—where digital infrastructure drives decarbonisation and decentralisation. PLN’s VP for Electricity Digitalisation, Agus Trisusanto, went one step further, dazzling the audience with a Google Earth–style animation of the company’s transmission grid, complete with real-time flows from individual substations. These examples make clear that digital tools are not a distant promise—they are already transforming how energy is generated, delivered, and managed.

But here is the challenge: digitalisation in energy cannot stop at the level of individual utilities. If Southeast Asia is serious about creating an interconnected, secure, and decarbonised power system, we need regional collaboration built on shared data. That is where the Clean, Affordable and Sustainable Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE) programme is making a contribution.

Through the Southeast Asia Information Platform for the Energy Transition (SIPET), we are creating the digital commons that the region needs. SIPET maps energy projects supported by development partners across ASEAN, showing which projects are nearing maturity and may be ready for private sector investment. In other words, it helps bridge the gap between development finance and commercial capital.

Another powerful feature is the Power Policy Tracker, which offers a comparative overview of national energy policies and targets. For businesses exploring market entry, this tool signals where ambition is highest and where regulatory frameworks may be more advanced. The most ambitious countries often become the most attractive for investment—and SIPET makes this visible in one place.

Of course, digitalisation comes with its paradox. The very tools that enable transparency, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence are themselves highly energy-intensive. Data centres and AI models consume vast amounts of electricity. Yet without them, the energy transition will stall. The task ahead is to ensure that the engines of digital transformation are powered by clean energy themselves.

The lesson from Bangkok is clear: digitalisation is not just a technical upgrade. It is the backbone of regional energy cooperation and the key to unlocking private sector investment in the clean energy transition. With platforms like SIPET, we now have the tools to make this collaboration real. The question is whether we will seize the opportunity.

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