PLANNING, POLICY AND REGULATIONS ARE THE KEY Energy policy and regulation are such diverse topics that many definitions have been used to try and frame them. A host of descriptions exist and a number will be drawn on here as relevant for Myanmar. As defined by Renn in The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions, energy policy can be considered a subset of “economic policy, foreign policy, and national and international security policy”12. Further, Renn envisions policies as embedded in a socio-technical system formed through the interactions of technical, economic, political and social factors13. The subject matter energy policy deals with are the perspectives and factors related to energy growth and usage, including energy production, distribution and consumption14. Zhenya Liu describes energy policy as the regulator and controller of energy development, as the driver of innovation in energy technology, and as a tool for guidance at the macro level and for management at the micro level15. This encompasses and allows for the adjustment of relationships between the private and public sectors and their surrounding systems, as well as the people who are the critical end users. Energy is one of the most fundamental resources in modern society16 – yet one which has a global impact due to climate change effects. Energy supply accounts for around 60 per cent of global greenhouse emissions, with renewables currently only providing 17 per cent of energy supply; IPCC warns that 85 per cent needs to come from renewables by 205017 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. It’s clear that climate change avoidance must be a key policy driver and that roadmaps and targets for meeting SDG 7 by 203018 should be foremost in policy makers’ minds.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.
Foran et al19 undertook a policy analysis specific to the hydropower sector in Myanmar. This highlighted how important the World Commission on Dams 200020 strategies prioritizing “gaining public acceptance” were, and that most policies being used in Myanmar were failing. They observed that earlier policy failures had opened the way for more legitimate policy regimes and approaches. The extensive consultations in the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower Sector in Myanmar21 have already provided much of the information necessary to guide what future hydropower projects should look like for successful policy acceptance. Spectrum’s experience shows that Myanmar policy perspectives must include: zz
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Gender aspects, due to women’s higher risks of energy poverty and due to women bearing a larger burden of work both as a result of inadequate energy access and their time not being appropriately valued22,23 Equity and access issues for rural / urban developments Context factors and particularly the energy resource availability Massive global changes in renewable markets and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) pricing Status, expected operating life and limitations of existing infrastructure Externalities and environmental impacts on river basins of hydropower Anti-corruption, transparency and accountability Integration of responsible business practice
Kohl, W.L. 2004. National Security and Energy. In: Encyclopedia of Energy. Renn, O. 2020, Introduction. In Renn,O., Ulmer,F. and A. Deckert. The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions, Academic Press, 2020. Islam,M.M and Hasanuzzaman, M. 2020. Introduction to energy and sustainable development. In: Energy for Sustainable Development. Zhenya Liu. 2015. Global Energy Interconnection. The role of the electric grid in Switzerland’s energy future, blog, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/the-power-and-gas-blog/therole-of-the-electric-grid-in-switzerlands-energy-future. Tamara Grünewald, Diego Hernandez Diaz. https://www.cdp.net/en/policy-and-public-affairs/sustainable-development-goals https://www.unescap.org/resources/energy-transition-pathways-2030-agenda-sdg7-roadmap-indonesia# Foran, T., Kiik, L., Hatt, S., Fullbrook, D., Dawkins, A., Walker, S., and Y. Chen. 2017. Large hydropower and legitimacy: A policy regime analysis, applied to Myanmar. Energy Policy (Volume 110, November 2017) pp 619-630. World Commission on Dams 2000. 2000. Dams and development. A new framework for decision-making. In: The Report of the World Commission on Dams, Earthscan, London. Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower Sector in Myanmar, https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/industry_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/ hydro+advisory/resources/sea+of+the+hydropower+sector+in+myanmar+resources+page, updated December 2020. Sunikka-Blank, M. 2020. In: Inequality and Energy. Spectrum. 2019. Gender Analysis for the Promotion of Rural Electrification in Myanmar, Report for GIZ Promotion of Rural Electrification (RELEC) Project, Myanmar.
16 | MYANMAR’S RENEWABLE ENERGY VISION 2021
