Power connectivity in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – The need for a wider discourse

Abstract

Despite nearly over 30 years of efforts, power connectivity in the GMS remains rather low, limited to a few uncoordinated bilateral exchanges of electricity. Much of the existing thinking attributes this slow progress to factors that are proximate to the electricity industry, namely, insufficient infrastructure, lack of technical competence, and uncoordinated regulation. Through an analysis of the historical evolution of power connectivity in the GMS, this Policy Perspective demonstrates that this thinking (on industry-centric factors) is inadequate for providing a fuller appreciation for the reasons for the slow progress towards power connectivity and hence potential remedies to expedite the pace of connectivity. Such appreciation can instead be gained, this paper contends, by developing a wider discourse on the geopolitical and socio-economic issues, especially those issues that are central to creating a backdrop which is essential for converting GMS’s growing physical electricity connectivity into a region-wide coordinated electricity market. Such issues include: reconciliation between geopolitical and regional interests; convergence of national and regional interests across the GMS countries; and national v regional identity.