Developing International Power Markets in East Asia

The Greater Mekong subregion--Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Yunnan Province of southern China--has good potential for international power trade. Initial interest in this market is being spearheaded by private developers negotiating bilateral cross-border trade agreements. But experience in power trade zones in Europe and North America shows that to achieve the benefits of fully fledged trade, the countries in the subregion need to closely coordinate electricity sector policy, operating protocols, and network development. This Note sets out the market development options, reviews sector reforms so far, assesses the obstacles to full power trade, and briefly outlines multilateral efforts to promote an infrastructure that will support international power trade in the subregion.