Energy Research Cluster
The Southeast Asian region stands at an important moment in its energy transition journey, facing the dual challenge of ensuring energy security while advancing sustainable, low-carbon solutions. To address these pressing concerns, the RSIS Energy Research Cluster brings together a diverse set of research agendas that collectively examine the complexities of cross-border power trade, hydropolitics, and nuclear governance in the region.
The first theme explores the different dimensions of Southeast Asia’s cross-border power trade, by analysing the role of domestic politics, including issues relating to the just and inclusive principles of energy transition such as public responses to the expansion of power generation and grid transmission infrastructures, especially in the context of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative. The second theme investigates hydropolitics in the Mekong River Basin, with a particular focus on China’s domestic drivers and regional influence over transboundary water governance. The third and fourth themes delve into nuclear governance, assessing the challenges and opportunities of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Southeast Asia, alongside the evolving societal attitudes toward nuclear energy adoption.
Through interdisciplinary research and policy engagement, the RSIS Energy Research Cluster aims to generate insights that will support informed decision-making and regional cooperation in Southeast Asia’s energy transition.
Publications
RSIS Commentaries
- Margareth Sembiring, Between Ambition and Implementation: Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions in Southeast Asia, RSIS Commentary CO25239, 09 December 2025.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Southeast Asia’s Nuclear Future, RSIS Commentary CO25238, 09 December 2025.
- Margareth Sembiring, Danielle Lynn Goh, Artificial Intelligence and Energy Transition in Southeast Asia, RSIS Commentary CO25188, 12 September 2025.
- Alvin Chew, The Spain Power Outage: Lessons for Countries Switching to Clean Energy, RSIS Commentary CO25116, 27 May 2025.
- Alvin Chew, Is Singapore Betting on Nuclear Energy?, RSIS Commentary CO25043, 28 February 2025.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Mely Caballero-Anthony, Is Southeast Asia’s Nuclear Power Ambition Within Reach?, RSIS Commentary CO24117, 15 August 2024.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, The COP28 Pledge to Accelerate Nuclear Power Capacity, RSIS Commentary CO23185, 19 December 2023.
- Margareth Sembiring, Petrostate Climate Diplomacy at COP28, RSIS Commentary CO23182, 12 December 2023.
- Mely Caballero-Anthony, Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano ,Fukushima Water Release: Trusting Scientific Innovation and Nuclear Safety Regime, RSIS Commentary CO23120, 28 August 2023.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, ASEAN’s Growing Agenda on Nuclear Security, RSIS Commentary CO23104, 31 July 2023.
- Margareth Sembiring, Low-carbon Energy Transition: Lessons from the Philippines, RSIS Commentary CO23055, 18 April 2023.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, Small Modular Reactors in the Philippines’ Journey Toward Nuclear Energy, RSIS Commentary CO22125, 5 December 2022.
- Margareth Sembiring, Indonesia’s 2060 Net-Zero Ambition: The Challenges Ahead, RSIS Commentary CO22098, 12 October 2022.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Human Development and Mental Health: New Approaches and Metrics Needed, RSIS Commentary CO22094, 28 September 2022.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Reviving Nuclear Power: Is the Philippines Ready?, RSIS Commentary CO22019, 8 March 2022.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Global Health Security – Nuclear Technology and Disease Prevention: What ASEAN Can Do, RSIS Commentary CO20049, 25 March 2020.
- Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Trajano, Missing Iridium: Enhancing Regional Nuclear Security, RSIS Commentary CO18142, 29 August 2018.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, Fukushima Six Years After: East Asia’s Nuclear Energy Conundrum, RSIS Commentary CO17045, 16 March 2017
Policy Reports
- Margareth Sembiring, Danielle Lynn Goh, Unpacking Contestation in Southeast Asia’s Renewable Energy Development, RSIS Policy Report, 12 January 2026.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, Nuclear Safety and Security Culture: Powering Nuclear Governance in East Asia, Singapore: RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre), 2018.
Bulletin
- Margareth Sembiring, 2025 SDG Review: Integrating Governance and Justice in ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’ Goal Indicators, NTS Bulletin August 2025, 14 August 2025.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, Securing Clean Energy from Nuclear Power for Climate Change Mitigation, NTS Bulletin September 2023, 21 September 2023.
- Margareth Sembiring, Climate Security and SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy, NTS Bulletin May 2023, 19 May 2023.
Chapters in Edited Books
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Re-Energizing the Philippines’ Nuclear Power Program: Opportunities and Challenges in David Santoro and Carl Baker (eds), Southeast Asia’s Clean Energy Transition: A Role for Nuclear Power? Issues & Insights Vol. 23, SR7. Honolulu: Pacific Forum, 2023, pp. 66-73
- Mely Caballero-Anthony, and Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Introduction: Nuclear Governance in the Asia-Pacific in Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Trajano (Eds.), Nuclear Governance in the Asia-Pacific. New York and London: Routledge, 2022, pp. 1 – 13.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, et al., “Covid-19 and Security Sector Responses in Southeast Asia” in Albrecht Schnabel, Upasana Garoo, Rohit Karki and Kevin Socquet-Clerc (Eds.), Security Sector Responses to Covid-19 in the Asia-Pacific Region: Reflections on an Ongoing Health Crisis, Geneva: DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, 2021, pp.127-205.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, Post-Nuclear Security Summits: The Need for Nuclear Security Cooperation in Southeast Asia in Alistair D.B. Cook and Tamara Nair (eds.), Non-Traditional Security in the Asia-Pacific: A Decade of Perspective. Singapore: World Scientific, 2021, pp. 77-82.
- Julius Cesar Trajano, “Advancing a Regional Pathway to Enhance Nuclear Energy Governance in Southeast Asia” in Mely Caballero-Anthony and Lina Gong(Eds.), Non-Traditional Security Issues in ASEAN: Agendas for Action. Singapore: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, 2020.
- Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Trajano, “Enhancing nuclear energy cooperation in ASEAN: Regional norms and challenges.” Chapter 7 in Peter Van Ness, Mel Gurtov (eds.) Learning from Fukushima : Nuclear Power in East Asia. Canberra: Australia National University Press, 2017.
- Margareth Sembiring. “Chapter 3.3: “Energy Security and Connectivity in Asia and Europe”, in ASEF Outlook Report 2016/2017, CONNECTIVITY: Facts and Perspectives, Volume II: Connecting Asia and Europe edited by Sunkyoung Lee, 2016. (Singapore: Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF))
Edited Books / Special Issues
- Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Nuclear Governance in the Asia-Pacific, Singapore: Routledge, 2022.
- Fengshi Wu and Hongzhou Zhang. eds. China’s Global Quest for Resources: Energy, Food and Water (Routledge, 2016).
NTS Insights / Briefs
- Margareth Sembiring, Southeast Asia’s Renewable Energy Ambition: The Case of Vietnam, NTS Insight, February 2025.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano and Alvin Chew, The Future of Small Modular Reactors: Implications for Nuclear Governance, NTS Insight, 7 July 2023.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Expanding the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology and Climate Change Adaptation: Opportunities and Challenges, NTS Insight, No.IN22-04, 18 August 2022.
- Margareth Sembiring, Green Recovery in Post-COVID-19 Southeast Asia?, NTS Insight, 02 October 2020.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Building a Culture of Prevention for Occupational Safety and Health in the Face of a Pandemic: Lessons from the Nuclear Safety Culture, NTS Insight, 29 June 2020.
Journal Articles
- Margareth Sembiring, “Critical Geopolitics of Global Environmental Norms: Exploring Indonesia’s Response to Climate Mitigation Agenda” in Geopolitics, 2025, pp. 1-24.
- Mely Caballero-Anthony, and Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, “Examining Southeast Asia’s Diplomacy on Nuclear Disarmament and Nuclear Security: Shared Norms and a Regional Agenda” in Asian Journal of Peacebuilding, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2022, pp. 1-25
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, “Ready for Nuclear Energy?: A Policy Review of the Philippines’ Nuclear Energy Plan and Participation in the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy” in International Journal of Nuclear Security, Vol. 7, No. 1 , Article 16, 2022.
- Zhang Hongzhou, and Zhang Li, “Water Diplomacy and China’s Bid for Soft Power in the Mekong” in China Review, 21, 4, 2021, 39-75.
- Mely Caballero-Anthony, and Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, “The Future of Nuclear Security in the Asia-Pacific: Expanding the Role of Southeast Asia” in International Journal of Nuclear Security, Vol. 6, No. 2, Article 8, 2020.
- Zhang Hongzhou, and Li Mingjiang, “China’s Water Diplomacy in the Mekong: A Paradigm Shift and the Role of Yunnan Provincial Government” in Water International, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 347–364, 2020.
- Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, “A Policy Analysis of Nuclear Safety Culture and Security Culture in East Asia: Examining Best Practices and Challenges, Nuclear Engineering and Technology” in A Policy Analysis of Nuclear Safety Culture and Security Culture in East Asia: Examining Best Practices and Challenges, Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Vol. 51, 2019.
- Hongzhou Zhang and Mingjiang Li, “A Process-Based Framework to Examine China’s Approach to Transboundary Water Management”, International Journal of Water Resources Development (CIJW), 2018.
Op-eds
- Margareth Sembiring, “Uneven Renewable Energy Progress: The Role of State–Market Alignment in the Philippines and Indonesia” in RSIS Annual Review, 20 January 2026.
- Zhang Hongzhou, “China’s Water Diplomacy: What It Has Achieved and What It Means for the Region’s Energy and Climate Governance? “ in Counterpoint Southeast Asia, 2025.
- Mely Caballero-Anthony, “COVID-19 and North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Averting Another Catastrophe”, The Korea Times, 24 April 2020.
- Zhang Hongzhou, “China’s ‘Development Approach’ to the Mekong Water Disputes”, The Diplomat, 20 March 2020.
- Zhang Hongzhou, “China-US climate change cooperation should move beyond energy”, ChinaDialogue, 15 October 2015 (Chinese).
Events
2025
- RSIS Seminar on “The Future of Energy Transition in Southeast Asia,” 19 November 2025. [Event Page]
- Roundtable on Non-Traditional Security in a Changing Global Order, 7 April 2025. [Event Page]]
2024
- SWP-RSIS-KAS Workshop on “The Emergence of Greater Asia in Energy and Climate” , 9 -10 October 2024. [Event Page]
2023
- CSCAP Nuclear Energy Experts Group Meeting, 2-3 August 2023. [Event Page]
2022
- RSIS Seminar on “A Nuclear 3S (Safety, Security, and Safeguards) Assessment for Small Modular Reactors in East Asia” by Dr Jorshan Choi, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 31 May 2022. [Event Page]
2021
- Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP) Nuclear Energy Experts Group (NEEG), 28-29 September 2021. [Event Page]
- RSIS Webinar on Nuclear Security Governance in the Asia-Pacific: Pathways to Cooperation, 29 July 2021. [Event Page]
- RSIS Webinar on “Non-Traditional Security Concerns in the ‘New Normal’: Food, Climate and Nuclear Security”, 1 June 2021. [Event Page]
2019
- RSIS-IAEA Faculty Professional Development Course on Nuclear Security, 21-25 October 2019. [Event Page]
Podcasts
- NTS Perspectives – Episode 2
Critical Minerals And Southeast Asia with Dr Vlado Vivoda
Awards
- Social Science & Humanities Research (SSHR) 2025 Seed Grant Call 2025, project title: “Energy Transitions in Southeast Asia: Local Opposition and State Responses” (Principal Investigator: Dr Margareth Sembiring)
Contributing Staff
Research Fellow, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies
DID: +65 6592 7521
Email: [email protected]
Mr Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano
Research Fellow, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies
DID: +65 6513 2035
Email: [email protected]
Senior Fellow
DID: +65 6904 7251
Email: [email protected]
Associate Research Fellow, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies
DID: : +65 6316 8785
Email: [email protected]
Assistant Professor, Graduate Programmes Office
Deputy Coordinator of MSc (International Political Economy)
DID: +65 6790 6249
Email: [email protected]
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