Asian Development Bank's $70 billion energy and digital infra push puts Southeast Asia center stage

A solar power plant in Vietnam's Tay Ninh Province. Singapore's central bank is backing bio-energy and solar projects in Southeast Asia via its Green Investments Partnership. Tan Dao Duy | Moment | The Asian Development Bank $70 billion plan , backing new energy and digital infrastructure in the region, is set to boost Southeast Asia the most. The program includes a pan-Asia power grid initiative, connecting national and subregional power systems, and an Asia-Pacific digital highway to close the infrastructure gap in the region, according to ADB that has set 2035 as the deadline for funding projects. "Energy and digital access will define the region's future," said ADB President Masato Kanda said in a statement on Sunday. That connectivity will build the systems Asia and the Pacific need to grow, compete, and connect, Kanda said. "By linking power grids and digital networks across borders, we can lower costs, expand opportunity, and bring reliable power and digital access to hundreds of millions of people." While the funds are for the entire Asia-Pacific region, experts say that Southeast Asia is expected to be the major beneficiary of ADB's connectivity push. The bank typically leans toward developing member countries based on growth needs, project readiness and mandate, beyond sheer market size, said Greg Statton, vice president and chief technology officer for Asia Pacific and Japan at AI-powered data security firm Cohesity. …