The six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) are striving to ensure an adequate, reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy supply for all their citizens. Toward this, the GMS countries have identified power trading as a priority for regional cooperation. However, such trading currently represents less than 2% of electricity consumed in the GMS. This publication examines the regulatory and commercial barriers that are preventing a greater uptake of power trading in the region and identifies the key measures needed to overcome them.

This report explains the complex challenges facing the six countries in the renewables-rich Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) as they work to implement a comprehensive framework to enable regional electricity power trading. Against the backdrop of energy market volatility, it details how ADB is helping high-voltage electricity network operators reach a deal on interconnections which could unlock extensive economic benefits for each GMS country. Acknowledging a transparent power-sharing regime is still some way off, it provides a road map to help countries overcome infrastructural challenges and political concerns to build a fully synchronized GMS transmission network.

This publication provides guidance on how governments and utilities in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) can develop sustainable power development plans based on current international best practices. It outlines how the integration of strategic environmental assessments to an integrated resource planning approach can enable power development plans to explore or better manage renewable energy sources efficiently. It also discusses the benefits and key principles of this approach, with technical guidelines for each of the six GMS countries and tools aimed for use by practitioners in Asia and beyond.

This publication is a historical summary of progress made in energy cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) since the beginning of the economic cooperation program in 1992. It highlights a two-pronged and phased approach to develop the GMS power market to realize the full benefits of synchronous operations---the policy and institutional framework to promote power trade and the physical interconnection to facilitate cross-border power transfers. This publication aims to help stakeholders understand GMS members' efforts in power cooperation and to draw attention to crucial issues on regional power trade.

Energy security is a key objective for any modern society. While the concept has traditionally implied security of supply, it should include economic, technological, environmental, social and cultural, and military/security dimensions as well. In this context, grid interconnectivity potentially has a positive impact on energy security. Nevertheless, several barriers constrain the development and deepening of regional power agreements. Among all, lack of political will is commonly highlighted. The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has shown the largest progress of regional power trade in Southeast Asia. Even tough, it is also currently facing challenges to move forward the program. This paper reconstructs the development process of the program in order to better understand how the political will was formed or created and what is currently blocking it. Doing so, it identifies four moments when that was needed. Three of them successfully overcome, and one remaining as a challenge for the near-term future. In total eight critical factors are considered to be behind. Based on them, and the understanding of the current situation, recommendations for the near-term are also proposed.

Differentiated cooperation and GMS cooperation provide a theoretical model and practical example to coordinate the relationship and to promote economic and political cooperation between large and small states for the purpose of economic, political, and social development on the national, regional, and international stages.