Comments/ideas: ACFpod@outlook.com

We explore why simply shutting down coal plants is not a realistic fix for South and Southeast Asia. Elrika Hamdi and Ernst Kuneman from Agora Energiewende explain how reforming rigid Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) can transform legacy coal assets into flexible backup for renewable energy. Professionals in climate finance and energy policy will discover actionable strategies to renegotiate these contracts and unlock grid capacity without destabilising the market. Join us to understand how transition finance can practically fund this crucial shift from baseload coal to clean, resilient power systems. 

Ref.: Reforming power purchase agreements for flexible coal power

ABOUT ELRIKA: Elrika Hamdi is Southeast Asia Director at Agora Think Tanks, leading regional energy transition strategy. She is an expert in energy policy and finance with nearly 20 years of experience as a researcher, consultant, advisor, and entrepreneur, with deep knowledge of Indonesia’s energy landscape and Southeast Asia’s power markets. She previously served as Deputy Head of the Secretariat for Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, leading its Finance and Policy Working Groups and overseeing funding design, implementation, and monitoring. Her career spans IEEFA and advisory roles for UNEP, UNDP, ADB, AFD, USAID, and GIZ, alongside hands‑on work in rural electrification, renewable start‑ups, and advising governments and SOEs on energy finance.

ABOUT ERNST: Ernst is a Senior Associate Power System Transformation for Southeast Asia. He drives analytical and strategic initiatives on renewable energy investment, utility business model innovation and power system reform to enable greater integration of renewables. Based in Bangkok, he works closely with national and regional stakeholders to identify market and policy reform opportunities to accelerate the shift towards renewables-based electricity systems.Prior to joining Agora in 2022, Ernst worked at the think tank and consultancy adelphi, where he focussed on electricity markets and carbon pricing in Europe and the Asia-Pacific. He began his career at the Clingendael Institute in The Hague and the International Energy Agency in Paris. Ernst holds a Master’s in International Energy from Sciences Po Paris and an MSc in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam.

Documents & Reports

Reforming power purchase agreements for flexible coal power: The flagship Agora Energiewende report outlining the 'Repurpose, Reserve, and Retire' framework for transitioning coal fleets in South and Southeast Asia. 

Organisations & Initiatives

Agora Energiewende: An international energy transition think tank developing scientifically sound solutions for flexible, resilient, and secure power systems. 

ADB Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM): The Asian Development Bank's financing model, discussed in relation to the complex early retirement framework of Indonesia's Cirebon-1 coal plant. 

Guest Recommendations

Changing Planet: A BBC documentary series recommended by Elrika Hamdi. It monitors the impacts of climate change on the Earth's most vulnerable ecosystems over seven years, serving as a powerful reminder of the long-term stakes of our climate actions. 

HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli  |  MUSIC: Ep76 onward excerpts from Vivaldi’s La Follia, played by Luca Jacobelli.