Advancing Regional Energy Security: A Conversation with Sue-Ern Tan, Head of the New IEA Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore

15 Jul 2025
Advancing Regional Energy Security: A Conversation with Sue-Ern Tan, Head of the New IEA Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore
Authors: Maximilian Heil
Authoring Organisation: GIZ- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH
Posted At: 07-2025

Rising energy demand, rapid urbanisation, growing populations, and shifting geopolitical dynamics are placing immense pressure on Southeast Asia’s energy systems. The need for secure, affordable, and sustainable energy has never been more urgent. The International Energy Agency (IEA), a central force in shaping global energy policy — has responded by establishing its first Regional Cooperation Centre outside of Paris, choosing Singapore as its base. 

In this edition of SIPET Connect, Maximilian Heil, Project Coordinator CASE at GIZ, speaks with Sue-Ern Tan, the Head of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre, about the Centre’s strategic priorities, the evolving nature of energy security, and how Southeast Asia can shape a secure, affordable, and sustainable clean energy future through regional collaboration.  

In this conversation, Sue-Ern Tan offers a front-row view of how multilateral institutions are rethinking their role—working more directly with countries, gathering region-specific data, and enabling cross-border solutions like power trade and clean energy financing. IEA’s move to establish a regional hub in Singapore signals a shift from its global advisory role to one that also builds local and regional partnerships. With energy transitions gaining urgency and complexity, Southeast Asia needs not just capital and technology, but coordination and capacity. This new Centre aims to deliver exactly that—embedding support where it’s most needed, and making sure the region’s voice is heard in shaping the global energy agenda. 

**** 

SIPET Connect: To begin, could you briefly introduce yourself and your role at the IEA? 

Sue-Ern Tan: I’m the Head of the IEA’s recently-opened Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore. This is the IEA’s first office outside of its headquarters in Paris, and it serves as a platform to deepen our collaboration across Southeast Asia. While we have a broad global mandate, our initial focus here is clearly on ASEAN — supporting countries in the region to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the clean energy transition. 

SIPET Connect:  The IEA has long played a key role in global energy governance. How has its focus evolved in recent years, particularly in light of energy security concerns and the global emphasis on the clean energy transition? 

Sue-Ern Tan: The IEA was established over 50 years ago to coordinate collective responses to oil supply disruptions among member countries. That mission remains relevant — we activated those emergency response mechanisms most recently after Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis in 2022. But the world has changed dramatically over the course of the IEA’s history. 

Today, the IEA works across all fuels and technologies, supporting governments and industry to build sustainable, affordable, and secure energy systems. For example, at the Global Summit on the Future of Energy Security, which we co-hosted with the UK Government in April, two major themes emerged: first, that energy security is no longer just about oil and gas but includes critical minerals, supply chains, and electricity system reliability; and second, that multilateral cooperation is more essential than ever.  

SIPET Connect: Why was Southeast Asia chosen for the IEA’s first regional office — and why Singapore specifically? 

Sue-Ern Tan: Southeast Asia is a fast-growing region and a major driver of global energy trends. In fact, the region is expected to account for around a quarter of future global demand growth, second only to India. What’s more, eight out of the ten ASEAN member states have committed to net-zero targets. So, the region is both strategically important and full of potential. 

Having this regional presence allows us to work much more closely and responsively with countries on the ground and Singapore is very well-located to access the rest of the region. 

SIPET Connect: What are the key objectives and priority areas for the Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore? 

Sue-Ern Tan: We focus on three core thematic areas: 

First, we assist efforts to accelerate renewable power and cross-border power trade — particularly through support for the ASEAN Power Grid and guidance on how to integrate variable renewables.  Second, we work on the scaling up of clean energy technologies — including hydrogen, ammonia, CCS, nuclear, and innovations related to AI and data centre demand.  And finally, we provide analytical support for efforts to unlock finance for clean energy—notably through work like our Cost of Capital Observatory, which identifies region-specific barriers to investment. 

And then, underpinning all of this, we work in the areas of capacity-building and development partnerships.  We engage with partners in the region on capacity building and training, especially for Southeast Asian policymakers and regulators across many different topics; and we also work through partnerships and the convening of events, to help align efforts across institutions and stakeholders in the region. 

SIPET Connect: How does your work in the Regional Cooperation Centre complement the efforts of the IEA’s work more globally? 

Sue-Ern Tan: It’s very much a joint effort. The Regional Cooperation Centre is small—just five people—but we’re fully integrated into the broader IEA network. We collaborate closely with the analytical teams in headquarters, whether on global energy modelling, data, or market and policy insights. 

For instance, the IEA’s upcoming Global Hydrogen Report will feature an ASEAN-specific deep dive. Our role is to gather the most accurate and regionally relevant data, ensuring that Southeast Asia’s developments are reflected in global discourse. We lead regional projects and analysis while also feeding those regional insights back into the IEA’s global work. We are also building on the already excellent work happening at the IEA to deliver more efficiently and effectively in this region.   

SIPET Connect: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for accelerating the clean energy transition in Southeast Asia? 

Sue-Ern Tan: A connected regional power grid is absolutely essential for Southeast Asia, where electricity demand is growing faster than anywhere else. Interconnections will allow countries to move electrons more efficiently, match supply to demand centres, balance variable renewables, and unlock cross-border trade. 

Financing poses a significant barrier, particularly for interconnections, which is why IEA is preparing a report focused on how to mobilise investment in this area. Political will is also crucial, especially at the bilateral level, to align technical and regulatory frameworks across borders. 

We recognise the need to address a range of topics to help countries achieve their energy transition goals. Energy efficiency is the primary fuel and we have a large work programme in Southeast Asia focusing on accelerating efficiency across buildings, appliances, transport, and industry. The region’s key role as a manufacturing hub with excellent technological and natural resource potential is also a key opportunity to encourage the development of a variety of energy supply chains and technologies from solar and wind to hydrogen and batteries.  

Finally, we at the IEA understand the critical importance of data. It underpins effective policy making and we have seen how eager countries in this region are to enhance their capacity on data and energy statistics in order to help shape and measure their transition goals.   

SIPET Connect: Collaboration is key in scaling up the energy transition. Who are the IEA’s key partners in the region, and what are some upcoming areas of focus? 

Sue-Ern Tan: We work closely with regional bodies like the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the ASEAN Secretariat and all of their member states, as well as multilateral organisations including UN ESCAP, ADB, World Bank, and UNOPS-ETP. Our engagement extends to various regional governments and local contacts, including embassies and development partners. There are a number of active philanthropies, think tanks, NGOs, academic institutions and others which are both local and regional doing really interesting and important work as well. The new regional centre is looking to build new and continue long-established trusting and collaborative relationships. Our goal is to complement, and not to duplicate, existing initiatives.  

For example, we collaborate with UNESCAP on capacity development for regulators, and with the project CASE on the Regional Energy Transition Dialogue. We’re always asking: Where can the IEA add the most value? 

We also work based on demand from countries. For example, we collaborate with Southeast Asian countries to understand their energy goals, what it is they need to achieve those goals and where the IEA is best equipped to support. 

SIPET Connect: What are the biggest challenges in achieving a just energy transition in Southeast Asia? 

Sue-Ern Tan: From an equity standpoint, one ongoing challenge is energy access—not just whether electricity reaches people, but whether it’s reliable, clean, and affordable. Clean cooking is another area that deserves more attention in this region, particularly for women and rural communities. 

Fossil fuels will remain part of the mix for some time. The question is: how do we manage the energy transition responsibly? How do we support affected communities, improve methane management, and ensure fairness in job transitions? 

The IEA recently helped launch a Global Commission on People-Centered Clean Energy Transitions, which encourages countries to embed social equity, access, and participation into their transition strategies. We’re working to bring those principles into this region’s policy frameworks. 

SIPET Connect: How can platforms like SIPET and regional partnerships contribute to addressing barriers to transition? 

Sue-Ern Tan: Platforms like SIPET are vital for promoting transparency and open access to data and research, supporting knowledge transfer and capacity building, and bridging the gap between analysis and action by helping stakeholders move from policy aspiration to implementation. 

Ultimately, no single actor can drive the energy transition alone. Practical, inclusive, and collaborative efforts are key to make the energy transition real on the ground. We must build on the existing work of partners and make sure we are providing the most impact for countries in this region. 

SIPET Connect: Finally, what message would you like to share with SIPET’s community of energy transition professionals? 

Sue-Ern Tan: Keep going. The scale of both the opportunity and the challenge in Southeast Asia is immense. Success here is not optional; it’s essential for the global energy transition. 

But let’s also remember: a successful energy transition isn’t just about hitting emissions targets. It must also make energy more secure, more affordable, and more reliable. If we keep those pillars in mind, we’ll be better equipped to build transitions that truly work—for governments, people, and businesses. 

***** 

About Sue-Ern Tan 

Sue-Ern Tan is the Head of the International Energy Agency’s Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore. She brings extensive experience in international policy and development, and leads the IEA’s regional engagement in Southeast Asia. She leads a team focusing on accelerating renewable energy, scaling clean technologies, and unlocking regional collaboration to drive a just and secure energy transition. 

About the IEA 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous intergovernmental organisation that works to shape a secure and sustainable energy future for all. Founded in 1974, the IEA provides authoritative analysis, policy recommendations, and capacity-building support to its members and partners around the world. The IEA's new Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore supports Southeast Asia and beyond in advancing energy security, clean energy innovation, and regional integration.