CAREC Energy Sector Coordinating Committee Meeting (April 2016)

Energy sector focal points of CAREC member countries, officials from energy ministries and agencies, and representatives from multilateral development partners discussed

• updates on the deliverables of the Energy Sector Work Plan (EWP) 2016-2020 and
• next steps to encourage investments in the energy sector.

Representatives from Pakistan and Afghanistan presented updates on projects focused on developing the Central Asia-South Asia Energy Corridor, namely, CASA-1000 Project and the CASA and TUTAP Power Interconnection Projects, respectively.

The World Bank presented results of the Study on Regional Power Trade and highlighted that efficient trade brings significant benefits to the region.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), on the other hand, presented results of the Study for Power Sector Financing Road Map, which identified the estimated investment requirement of CAREC member countries from 2017-2023.

Country representatives presented their learnings from the previous CAREC Workshop on New Technologies and the next steps for future capacity building activities were identified.

The discussions also highlighted the significance of water resource management, the impact of climate change in the energy sector, and the importance of new technology in bridging the energy supply-demand gap in the region.

The current Energy Work Plan focuses on six key elements: (i) developing the East-Central Asia-South Asia regional energy market (E-CASAREM), (ii) promoting regional electricity trade and harmonization, (iii) managing energy-water linkages, (iv) mobilizing financing for priority projects, (v) capacity development and knowledge management, and (vi) promoting and prioritizing clean energy technologies.

(Click here to learn more about CAREC initiatives in the energy sector.)