U.S., Japan, and Mekong Partners Release Action Plan to Advance Sustainable Energy and Security
On April 6, the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP) Action Plan was jointly released by the U.S., Japan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam. JUMPP was launched in 2019 to enhance institutional capacity and advance regional energy security, resiliency, and prosperity. JUMPP has delivered over 80 technical cooperation projects across three pillars: national and regional electricity market development and investment, clean energy deployment, and regional power trade. In November 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the administration was requesting Congress to provide $20 million in additional funding for JUMPP to support clean energy, connectivity, and sustainable economic development in the Mekong sub-region.
Opportunities for further engagement
The action plan identifies over 40 new bilateral and regional partnerships for completion by 2025. New cooperation activities proposed in the action plan include regional workshops on power pool planning and study tours to the U.S. to enable stakeholders to learn about best practices and standards for a range of areas, including electricity markets, offshore wind, and smart grid technology.