Vision 2050

Challenges and Recommendations
» Electrification plans should not automatically consider central
grid expansion as the best solution. Distributed solutions, which
can be built rapidly and respond in a modular way to growing
demand, can be more cost effective.
» Countries need to work together to extend electricity networks to
bring power from centres of production to centres of consumption
as efficiently as possible. International networks will help meet
demand by balancing variable power sources (such as solar PV and
wind), supported by constant sources (geothermal, stored CSP,
hydro, biomass).
» We need urgent investment into smart grids to help manage
energy demand and allow for a significantly higher proportion of
electricity to come from variable and decentralized sources. This
will help energy companies to balance supply and demand more
efficiently, and enable consumers to make more informed choices
about their electricity use.
» By 2050, all cars, vans and trains globally should run on
electricity. We need legislation, investment and incentives to
encourage manufacturers and consumers to switch to electric cars.
Improvements in battery technology could even allow us to run
electric trucks, and possibly even ships. This is a long-term aim,
but research and development is needed now.
Electricity
exchanged between
countries and
power sector
strategies
Various countries
in the Mekong
region consider electricity
an export product. Laos
exports a large part of
its hydropower production to
Thailand. Myanmar is
considered as having
an important potential
for exports as well.
Electricity exchanges between countries should therefore be
encouraged as long as they do not have negative social, economic
and environmental impacts. They allow integration of more
variable power in the grids.
Solar, wind and hydropower can be combined. Hydro can offer
pumped storage during sunny or windy days in parts of the
Mekong, and this reserve hydro capacity can then be used during
rainy and windless days. This can happen on various time frames,
from an hourly basis, to a seasonal basis.
By 2025, large solar and wind farms will compete at prices which
are likely to be lower than the production cost of large hydro or
coal power plants. This means that countries that were importing
hydro or coal power might look to renegotiate or even not renew
their PPAs, since they would produce more solar or wind electricity
at home or would be able to sign PPAs with wind or solar parks
that would be cheaper than the hydro or coal PPAs. It will therefore
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