pacific forum History of Pacific Forum

Issues & Insights Vol. 12 – No. 3 – ASEAN’s WMD Scorecard

It was only in the 2000s that Southeast Asian nations began to consider investing seriously in nuclear power programs. The rationale for these decisions is the same as in other regions of the world: to meet rising electricity demands and ensure energy security, energy autonomy, and the diversification of supply. Prestige considerations associated with joining the nuclear power club and a strong marketing push by vendors may have also played a role in some countries.