Power Trade and Hydroelectricity Development in the Greater Mekong Sub-region: Perspectives on Economic and Environmental Implications

This study examines how cross-border power trade affects the development of hydropower potential in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) in an ASEAN power trade model, drawing economic and environmental implications. Although utilization rate estimates of potential GMS hydropower capacity range from full utilization to under-utilization, the findings of this study strongly suggest that cross-border power trade will promote GMS hydropower and other renewable development, in turn reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the region as a whole, with associated positive environmental implications.