The second article in this series dealt with the sources of energy in Southeast Asia and their relationship with the climate change which is affecting the entirely world. This article continues with this theme and also discusses the possibilities of nuclear power spreading even more to the region.
If hydroelectric power is not a long-term and sustainable solution to the energy needs of the region, then what will be? Hydroelectricity seemed such a good idea but it suffers from not just the social and environmental impact that has been made evident in recent years by various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) but also by the accidents of geography. Geography provides the potential for hydroelectric power in various places, but it does not mean (and in some cases militates against) the location of production being close to the place of consumption – in other words, hydropower is generated in places like waterfalls but people rarely live near that kind of area, at least not in large numbers. Consequently, it is necessary to collect the generated power and distribute it to large population centres where the demand exists. In the case of Laos, the population centres are across the border in Thailand, where the power generated is considered as an optional extra, with payment schedules arranged accordingly. Further, the complicated arrangements that state-owned electricity companies, who tend to be the ones who are involved in this kind of arrangement, usually make agreements focused on costs and business conditions which generally exclude the local and poor people from receiving the benefits from such generation.
The remaining option that exists for sustainable power generation is nuclear. Although, as mentioned before, interest in environmental issues at the national level is quite low, there have been instances of local protest which have been very sharp. Protests in Thailand, for example, about the opening of new coal-powered plants have been sufficiently successful to persuade the government (even the current military junta) not to open any more coal-powered plants. A similar situation exists with nuclear power, in that the majority of the regions citizens have low expectations of their governments being able to build and operate safe nuclear power plants. However, alternatives are running short and there is the obvious stimulant of Russian influence in the region. During the Cold War, the Russian influence was deeply pervasive in this region; in more recent times, the Russians have been scrabbling for influence and income and the myth of the Russian rocket scientists who will work for vodka has spread across the region. Will they be welcomed in building nuclear power plants from Myanmar to Indonesia?
