Photo 1. Group session photo for the 2nd consultation workshop.
Jakarta, 23-24 February 2026 – Following the successful first AEDS Consultation Workshop in August 2025, ACE consolidated inputs from AMS and subject-matter experts to inform the planning of the forthcoming AEDS Revitalisation Project. Building on these insights, ACE has appointed a consultant to undertake the AEDS Assessment Study, with the objective of identifying key structural and operational challenges that currently constrain the effectiveness of AEDS. The assessment has yielded a set of findings and actionable recommendations that encompass governance, data quality, system architecture, sectoral databases, and the utilisation of international data sources.
The 2nd AEDS Consultation Workshop, held in JS Luwansa Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia, brought together 18 participants (15 Men and 3 Women) representing eight ASEAN Member States (AMS) under Regional Energy Policy and Planning Sub-sectoral Network (REPP-SSN) as well as 9 participants (5 Men and 4 Women) in technical experts in database systems and visualisation techniques, and Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). This event was supported by the World Bank under the Multi-Phased Approach - Accelerating Sustainable Energy Transition (MPA-ASET). The workshop aimed to formally present the findings to AMS and relevant stakeholders, ensure a common understanding of the key messages, and promote awareness of the proposed way forward, in line with the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation APAEC 2026-2030, particularly Programme Area No. 6 on Regional Energy Policy and Planning (REPP).
Photo 2. Dato’ Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE, delivering opening remarks at the event.
The workshop was officially opened with remarks by Dato’ Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE, who underscored the importance of modernising AEDS to strengthen regional energy policy and planning. He highlighted efforts to institutionalise the regional energy database, enhance governance and digital systems, and embed GEDSI principles to support an inclusive energy transition across ASEAN.
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Photo 3. Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of the Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) Department of ACE (left) and Rika Safrina Senior Analyst of MPP of ACE (right) delivering scene setting presentations.
Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi presented AEDS for a strategic platform on accelerating and enhancing ASEAN Energy Cooperation with credible datasets, monitoring, and evaluation. He stressed that “AEDS is developed by ASEAN, for ASEAN”, ensuring alignment with the priorities and practices of all AMS.
Rika Safrina presented the AEDS revitalisation as a long-term project to support the regional energy policy planning and ASEAN energy cooperation. She also emphasised on AEDS revitalisation roadmap, including milestones for consultant hiring, system design, and public launch by September 2026 in the Philippines, ensuring sustainability and enhanced functionalities to serve both AMS and public stakeholders
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Photo 4. Anders Pedersen from ESMAP World Bank (top left), Abdul Khalid from WRI India (top left), Prof. Nofri Yenita Dahlan from Universiti Teknologi MARA (bottom left) and Dr Saraswathy Shamini Gunasekaran from Taylor’s University Malaysia (bottom right) at the Expert Session I.
The workshop continued with Session I which focused on the front-end database systems, led by Rika Safrina, Senior Analyst of MPP. This session brought various experts from international organisation-such as ESMAP – World Bank and WRI India-and academicians-UiTM and Taylor’s University from Malaysia.
Session I emphasised strengthening AEDS through user-centric, integrated, and policy-relevant data systems. ESMAP highlighted trusted, curated data supported by AI tools, while WRI India showcased geospatial platforms integrating demand–supply analysis with strong governance. Speakers noted ASEAN’s key challenge is fragmented systems, not data scarcity. A next-generation AEDS should prioritise integrated KPIs, scenario intelligence, dynamic visualisation, and API-based integration, upgrading legacy systems while designing dashboards tailored to policymakers’ needs.
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Photo 5. Thierry Baduoard and Florence Dal from Enerdata (top left), Rifan Kurnia from Devoteam (top right), and Fajar Kurniawan from Jakarta Smartcity (bottom left) at the Expert Session II.
The workshop continued with Session II which focused on the back-end database systems, led by Fadel Maulana, Data Officer of MPP. This session brought various experts in database systems-such ENERDATA, Devoteam, and Jakarta Smart City.
Session II underscored that strong data architecture and governance must form the foundation of AEDS modernisation, with AI positioned as an added value rather than the starting point. Enerdata highlighted structured collection–processing–dissemination systems supported by clear data agreements. Jakarta Smart City demonstrated secure, modular, API-driven, and user-centric platforms with automated reporting. Devoteam stressed unified data foundations, governance alignment, and change management. Overall, AI should enhance analytics, automation, and insight generation once a trusted, integrated data ecosystem is firmly established.
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Photo 6. Iriantoni Almuna from UN Women Session (top left), Elaine Joyce V. Borejon from Oxfham Philippines (top right), Rahma Utami from Suarise Indonesia (bottom left) at the Expert Session III.
The workshop continued with Session III which focused on integrating GEDSI in energy database system platform to ensure ASEAN JUST Energy Transition, led by Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah. This session brought various experts in GEDSI-such UN Women, Oxfam Philippines, and Suarise Indonesia.
This session emphasised that gender equality and inclusivity must be embedded at the core of energy transition planning, data systems, and platform design. Speakers stressed that women are not passive beneficiaries but key agents of change, though structural barriers persist. Policy frameworks, including Indonesia’s National Action Plan and ASEAN gender indicators, provide foundations but require stronger disaggregated and qualitative data integration. Discussions highlighted closing the gap between community-level realities and national datasets, embedding GEDSI principles from the outset, and ensuring accessibility through user-centred, co-designed inclusive digital platforms aligned with regional standards.
Day 2 focused on a closed-session dissemination of the AEDS Assessment Study findings. This session brought together the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), ASEAN Member States (AMS) focal points, and the AEDS Assessment Consultant (Enerdata) for a deep dive into the system’s future. The primary objectives were to formally disseminate the findings from the AEDS consultancy, validate key insights directly with the Member States, and gather structured feedback that will serve as the roadmap for the project’s next steps and implementation pathways.
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Photo 7. Silvira Ayu Rosalia Energy Statistician of ACE (right), presenting recap and Thierry Baduoard from Enerdata (right), presenting Digital Architecture findings.
The final day of the workshop commenced with a comprehensive recap of Day 1, followed by a presentation from Silvira Ayu Rosalia, Data Statistician at ACE, regarding the results of the first AEDS Consultation Workshop held in August 2025 to set the stage on the findings dissemination. She highlighted that the initial phase successfully consolidated inputs from ASEAN Member States (AMS) to map out the functional requirements for the upcoming system revamp.
The core of the morning agenda was the AEDS Assessment Presentation delivered by Enerdata, which was divided into three strategic segments: Overview of the AEDS Assessment, Key Findings from the AEDS Audit and Data Processes, Findings by ACE Pillar and Data Domain. Following these presentation, A key highlight from this session was the recommendation to modernize data ingestion to ensure higher accuracy and faster reporting cycles across all ASEAN pillars. The consultant presented a transformation roadmap to address the technical and governance challenges identified previously and emphasized that "the AEDS upgrade is not simply a system update, but a strategic step to ensure the availability of high-quality, timely, and transparent data to support energy policymaking at the regional level.
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Photo 8. FGD session of Day-2 and Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi of ACE (bottom left) delivering closing remarks.
In the afternoon, the workshop transitioned into a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) moderated by Afham Kilmi (Research Analyst, ACE) and Kuriachan Jose (Enerdata). This interactive session was specifically designed to identify areas requiring adjustments or further analysis before the development of the new AEDS platform begins. AMS representatives provided critical input on technical and operational features that need to be aligned with national data capacity. The discussion focused on mapping specific user needs, from system architecture scalability to the integration of new energy indicators, to ensure that the resulting AEDS revitalization is truly applicable, relevant, and able to address the challenges of the energy transition in the ASEAN region.
The event was officially ended by Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of the MPP Department at ACE. In his closing remarks, he expressed appreciation for the active participation of the Member States and reaffirmed ACE's commitment to the AEDS Revitalisation Project. The workshop officially concluded with a shared understanding that strengthening AEDS is a collective priority to support the ambitious targets in APAEC 2026-2030.
To learn more about ASEAN Energy Database Systems, please visit our website.
