The 2025 edition of Energy Asia, held in Kuala Lumpur from June 16–18, proved to be more than just another energy summit. It was a clarion call—signaling Asia’s transition from energy security debates to decisive, strategic action. As Southeast Asia grapples with growing power demand, net-zero ambitions, and the surge of AI-driven industries, the event offered a real-world glimpse into how governments, corporates, and investors are aligning for a low-carbon future.

Here are the key takeaways:

1. Gas Is Back—And It’s Here to Stay (For Now)

• Several energy majors, including Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni, made major gas announcements—cementing the role of natural gas as the region’s critical transition fuel. Shell alone committed MYR 9 billion (SGD 2.6 billion) in Malaysia, focusing on both upstream production and decarbonization infrastructure.

• Why the renewed focus on gas? One word: stability. With electricity demand set to double—especially due to the exponential growth of data centers and AI infrastructure—gas is being positioned as the cleanest, most scalable stopgap while renewables catch up.

2. Renewables Are Growing, But Infrastructure Is Lagging

• Asia is leading the world in clean energy capacity additions, yet transmission, storage, and grid readiness continue to hinder large-scale impact. Countries like India and Vietnam have rapidly scaled solar and wind, but fossil fuels—especially coal—still dominate the power mix.

• The message from this year’s summit was clear: The energy transition won’t be won on generation alone. It will be won on integration. Expect to see increased investment in smart grids, battery storage, and regional interconnectivity across ASEAN nations.

3. ASEAN Grid and Regional Gas Pipelines: No More Waiting

• Discussions around the ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline gained renewed momentum. The vision? A seamlessly interconnected region, where power and gas can flow across borders to balance supply-demand gaps and reduce redundancy.

• This interdependence will be critical in the years ahead—especially as countries aim to attract AI infrastructure, electric vehicle manufacturing, and clean-tech investments that require round-the-clock power reliability.

4. Digital Energy and Human Capital—The Talent Gap Widens

• The influx of AI and digital technologies in energy operations is no longer futuristic—it’s mainstream. From predictive analytics to smart refineries, tech is driving operational efficiency. However, this has created a fresh challenge: a widening talent gap.

• Upskilling and cross-sector hiring (from tech into energy) are now essential. Companies are increasingly seeking professionals who can bridge engineering fundamentals with digital innovation. This opens up new pathways for experienced talent in automation, controls, and industrial AI to move into the energy domain.

• At Stemgenic, we’ve already seen a sharp increase in hiring demand for hybrid skillsets across engineering, energy transition, and digital transformation roles.

5. Asia’s Climate Momentum Surpasses Expectations

• Despite being historically seen as fossil-fuel dependent, Asia is stepping up. South Korea, India, and Singapore have made aggressive strides in reducing coal dependency and scaling green energy. Notably, Asian corporations dominated the 2025 Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders list, with strong Scope 1 and 2 emission reductions.

• This shift is not just policy-led—it’s market-driven. Stakeholders, shareholders, and supply chain partners are holding firms accountable. As such, sustainability-linked hiring is rising—creating new opportunities in ESG, environmental risk, and energy economics.

What This Means for Employers and Talent Leaders

• Energy Asia 2025 reaffirmed a sobering yet optimistic truth: Asia is not only catching up—it’s ready to lead the next era of energy transition. For hiring managers and HR leaders in energy, chemicals, manufacturing, and technology-adjacent sectors, this means:

  • A renewed demand for mid-to-senior talent across energy transition, gas infrastructure, and digital energy functions

  • Strong hiring push in engineering roles with cross-functional digital/AI exposure

  • Rising focus on sustainability, project finance, and regulatory affairs roles

  • An urgent need for workforce reskilling programs to support evolving business models