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View all search resultsEnergy security needs public consent to succeed
While public support for clean energy is strong in principle, it weakens quickly when new infrastructure appears close to home.
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A farmer guides his boat on Oct. 12, 2025, through solar panels installed as part of the Rawa Pening floating solar photovoltaic plant in Tuntang, Semarang regency, Central Java. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
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cross the world, governments are rethinking their approach to energy. Climate goals still matter, but they are no longer the main driver. Instead, leaders are asking a more practical question: how do we keep energy stable and affordable in an unpredictable world?
Energy security has quietly become the main factor shaping these decisions, from Europe revisiting nuclear to the United States investing in hydrogen and grid resilience, to Southeast Asian economies expanding solar and developing early hydrogen supply chains.
This shift is especially visible in Southeast Asia, where rising electricity demand, rapid urbanization and exposure to volatile global fuel markets have made energy security a central concern.
Malaysia is positioning itself early in the hydrogen economy and accelerating solar growth, while Singapore is preparing its ports and storage systems for hydrogen and studying the long-term feasibility of nuclear.
These moves reflect the region’s broader push to secure diverse and resilient energy sources. But this turn toward security exposes a growing tension. While public support for clean energy is strong in principle, it weakens quickly when new infrastructure appears close to home.
Without addressing this, even the most ambitious strategies will struggle to deliver the stability they aim to create.
For years, the energy transition was treated mainly as an environmental mission. Now its momentum depends on reliability. Nuclear power illustrates this change. Once considered politically risky, it is now presented as dependable, low-carbon baseload.
