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Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy is derived from natural resources and does not deplete when used. Malaysia targets to achieve 31 % renewable energy generation by 2025. The availability and reliability of renewable energy resources are highly vulnerable to climate conditions. Floods, which account for almost 40 % of natural disaster can adversely affect energy resources generation, transmission and infrastructure. Malaysia as a tropical country is especially prone to floods due to the high average rainfall it receives annually. Malaysia energy policy planning has placed more emphasis on efficiency of generation and emissions reductions. The need to adapt to flood disasters and other climatic change challenges has not been adequately addressed. Due to the flood risk in Malaysia, adaptation to climate change and disasters such as flood needs to be considered in Malaysia's energy policy planning. This paper reviews scholarly papers and news articles related to the flood phenomenon in Malaysia, and analyses the impact of flood disasters on renewable energy generation and energy policy planning in this country. The findings indicate that flood has an insignificant effect on Malaysia's renewable energy power generators as they are not located in flood-prone areas. The east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which is exposed to flooding during the monsoon season, is the most vulnerable to flood disasters. Most renewable energy generation facilities including biomass power stations, hydropower, and solar panels are located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and in Sabah and Sarawak. The potentially high risk of flash floods and unpredictable climate conditions in Malaysia should not be underestimated and must be duly considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a developing country, Malaysia's prosperity and welfare depends heavily on having access to reliable and secure supplies of energy. As a result, the country's future energy requirements have become a policy priority in recent years. Energy is essential for human life, and a secure and accessible supply of energy becomes important for the modern societies. Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are currently the world's primary energy sources and continue to provide energy source to the world. These energy sources have depleted in reserves in recent years and they can also cause irreparably damage to the environment such as global warming and climate change. These environmental concerns can be addressed, to some extent, through more sustainable solutions such as the use of renewable energy resources. In Malaysia, the economic and environmental impacts of fossil fuels use have become hard to ignore. The government has introduced and implemented policy measures to address concerns surrounding the use of fossil fuels and to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy use. In this paper, we review the historical evolution of Malaysian energy policies and initiatives designed to secure diverse energy sources and avoid over-reliance on fossil fuels. In recent years, Malaysia has been catching up with global call to shift to renewable energy use and is now putting a focus on renewable energy in its future energy mix. The paper also discusses challenges and concerns over the future of sustainable energy of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government of Malaysia has recently decided to explore the feasibility of wind energy to generate electricity in the country. Their ambition is to achieve a measureable target in the percentage contribution of electricity generated by renewable energy technology in the national electricity generation mix. As part of this initiative, a study of wind energy policy has been conducted by identifying the optimal feed-in tariff (FiT) rates to support the development of wind energy in the country. The aim of this paper is to calculate the optimal level of tariff that is suitable with local wind conditions. A closed-form equation for optimal feed-in tariff rate of wind energy with consideration of the availability of capital allowance has been developed. The focus is on small- and utility-scale wind turbine installations. As a result, by considering the availability of capital allowance, the optimal FiT rates for small-scale wind turbines in Malaysia are between 0.9245-1.1313 RM/kWh, while utility-scale rates are between 0.7396 and 0.9050 RM/kWh. The level of FiT is changed with the changing value of economic parameters. Kudat, in northern Borneo, has been identified as a prime site for wind energy development in the country; however, more work needs to be conducted, including the development of a regional wind map and measurement of wind data at more new potential sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the energy security implications of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy in Malaysia (SCORE), a US$105 billion infrastructure development plan in Sarawak on the island of Borneo. SCORE aims to build a series of hydroelectric dams along a 320-kilometer corridor by 2030. The article begins by explaining the methodology utilized for its research interviews and site visits. It goes on to argue that energy security in Southeast Asia should consist of simultaneously improving the availability, affordability, efficiency and stewardship of energy services for end users. Availability involves diversifying the fuels and technologies in energy production and minimizing dependence on imports; affordability means providing electricity and fuel within the income range of most consumers; efficiency means improving the performance of equipment and lowering demand for energy; and stewardship is minimizing political, social, and environmental hazards associated with energy production and consumption. The paper next introduces the SCORE project before making an assessment utilizing the four criteria of energy security. While SCORE partially improves availability, we argue that it erodes aspects of affordability, efficiency and stewardship. Cost overruns and delays in financing will make the electricity from SCORE suitable only to industrial users, not the energy poor. SCORE is predicated on the assumption that electricity demand should grow greatly in the future rather than the idea that energy efficiency and demand side management programmes should attempt to reduce growth in demand for electricity. SCORE also has a pernicious set of social, environmental and political consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in oil prices has put pressure on the global economy. Even economies that have a high degree of self-sufficiency concerning oil products are experiencing rising production costs and price increases for households energy use. Therefore, changes in energy policies are under consideration for countries highly dependent on imported energy as well as countries with a high degree of self-sufficiency. Examination of dependence on cheap energy sources for economic growth in different economic sectors is becoming more important as countries are trying to promote activities that are less energy intense. Among the policy changes under consideration, the adjustment of domestic energy subsidies is of particular interest. The effect of high energy prices on a fast growing economy, such as in Malaysia, is considerable, as the country will shift from being a net exporter of energy to a net importer in less than 10 years. Malaysia until recently has experienced increasing overall energy intensity and the growth up to 2,000 was quite high, especially for electricity intensity. A continued rise in energy intensity will be quite problematic in this new high oil price regime. This paper investigates the impact of rising energy prices on production costs for the different sectors of the Malaysian economy. Input–output (I–O) calculations demonstrate that the impact on the exporting component of the manufacturing sectors is less than for the average production. Therefore the production cost increase caused by, for example, an adjustment in electricity prices of 25% will result in less than 1/2% increase. As the competing countries in world markets are experiencing the same rise in energy costs, including electricity based on fossil fuels, there is no vital argument for not allowing domestic energy prices to adjust to the international price changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the leading global producers of palm oil, Malaysia has the potential to play a pivotal role in global palm oil diesel production. However, such potential will be difficult to exploit based on the industry’s current scenario. The new framework, known as “Strategic Dimensions and Implementation of the National Biofuel Policy in Malaysia”, is vague and the current level of implementation is limited. Thus, a comprehensive and well-structured policy framework for Malaysia’s palm oil biofuel industry is not only important in ensuring that its products, such as biodiesel, meet global standards but also to provide greater benefit to the industry as a whole. This paper presented a brief overview of German rapeseed biodiesel and US corn ethanol policies, aimed at providing a new perspective that can be adopted to reshuffle the existing policies governing the Malaysian palm oil biofuel industry. Throughout this paper, different strategies and policies designed to protect the biofuel industry in the US and Germany are discussed in this study. Such policies would be a good benchmark for the Malaysian government to emulate in an effort to improve its existing policies, strategies and blueprints relating to the palm oil biofuel industry development. This review also contributes to the oil palm industry, particularly in developing countries, by highlighting the importance of comprehensive policies and strategies in accelerating its development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Coal's rising prominence in the power industry has raised concerns about future CO2 emissions and energy reliability. As of 2017, it is estimated that Malaysia's existing natural gas production can only be maintained for another 40 years. Consequently, the carbon intensity of electricity production has increased due to the increasing share of coal-fired plants and electricity infrastructure inefficiencies. To summarise, energy industries have been the highest emitters of CO2 emissions, with a 54-percent share. In response to these challenges, the government implemented a series of renewable energy (RE) policy measures. Whether these policies are sufficient in driving Malaysian energy decarbonisation is yet to be seen. In this study, we simulated different scenarios from 2015 to 2050 with an agent-based model to explore the roles of renewable energy policies towards emission reduction in the energy sector. The simulation results reveal that when all renewables initiatives were implemented, the share of RE increased to 16 percent, and emissions intensity fell by 26 percent relative to its level in 2005, albeit with increasing absolute carbon emissions. This milestone is still far below the government's 45 percent reduction target. The simulation results demonstrate that renewable energy policies are less effective in driving Malaysian electricity towards desired low-carbon pathways. Furthermore, it is evidenced that no single approach can achieve the emission reduction target. Therefore, a combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy policy measures is unavoidable to decarbonise the electricity sector in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy (RE) policies have proven to be an effective tool for implementing RE. Despite various policies introduced, the RE deployment in Malaysia has been weak, especially individual RE uptake. Lack of policy support has been linked with inadequate policy awareness and information based on the knowledge deficit theory. This study investigates the support for the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) and Net Energy Metering (NEM) policy of individual solar photovoltaic (PV) technology among landed residents in Malaysia and the effect of information provision on policy support. A Solomon-four-group design was employed to measure policy support and test the relationship between information provision and policy support using a set of Likert scale questionnaires and a poster of FiT and NEM policy prepared in layman's terms as an intervention. Results show that majority of the residents agree with the environmental mission of the policy, except for the reduction of fossil fuel usage. For the economic aspect, the residents prefer a fixed rate for RE produced and generally agreed that high electricity consumers should pay for the RE fund. However, residents were less enthusiastic about the percentage deducted from electricity bills and the 'high electricity consumer' baseline. There was a significant difference between items scores at pre and post-test when given the intervention, in line with the deficit theory. Therefore, policy information should be communicated strategically, focusing on thepolicy's social and economic components that have the greatest influence on Malaysians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the relationship between CO2 emission, economic growth, and energy use in Malaysia. The Johansen co-integration model was then applied. The results show that one co-integrating equation exists, thus implying the long-term relationships between carbon dioxide emission, energy consumption, and economic growth and the results are affirmed by the VECM test. The results of the Granger causality model show that in Malaysia, energy use influence economic growth and also carbon dioxide emission. The findings in our study are highly important in policy implementation. Energy consumption can trigger environmental problems in Malaysia. Nevertheless, energy conservation policies remain complex in Malaysia. Increasing energy consumption to enhance economic growth can escalate carbon dioxide emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper employs annual data from 1971 to 2006 to examine the causal relationship between aggregate output, electricity consumption, exports, labor and capital in a multivariate model for Malaysia. We find that there is bidirectional Granger causality running between aggregate output and electricity consumption. The policy implication of this result is that Malaysia should adopt the dual strategy of increasing investment in electricity infrastructure and stepping up electricity conservation policies to reduce unnecessary wastage of electricity, in order to avoid the negative effect of reducing electricity consumption on aggregate output. We also find support for the export-led hypothesis which states Granger causality runs from exports to aggregate output. This result is consistent with Malaysia pursuing a successful export-orientated strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The popularization of 24h pay-TV, interactive video games, web-TV, VCD and DVD in Malaysia are poised to have a large impact on overall TV electricity consumption in the country. With the increasing of overall TV energy consumption, energy efficiency standards are one of highly effective policies for decreasing electricity consumption in the residential sector. Energy efficiency standards are also capable of reducing consumer''s electricity bill and contribute towards positive environmental impacts. This paper attempts to predict the amount of energy that can be saved in the residential sector by implementing minimum energy efficiency standard for television sets in Malaysia. Over the past 30 years, television ownership in Malaysian residents has increased from 186,036units in 1970 to 2,741,640units in 1991. This figure is expected to reach 6,201,316 units in the year 2010. Hence, efficiency improvement for this appliance will have a significant impact on the future of electricity consumption in this country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Malaysia, as one of the top energy subsidizing countries, has announced to remove energy subsidies necessarily, not only to reduce energy consumption and the government budget deficit but also to improve overall efficiency and air quality. Therefore, this study evaluates the impacts of rationalizing energy subsidy and its energy efficiency improvement during 2010–2030 using a dynamic recursive computable general equilibrium model. Results revealed that reducing energy subsidies decreases energy consumption and emissions of all air pollutants. While the economic performance of the country improves in the long run due to stimulation in capital demand and investment, it reduces in the short run. Energy efficiency also improves by 1.1% and 2.3%, in the short run, in response to a reduction of 10% and 100% in energy subsidies, respectively. Energy efficiency improvements decrease the negative effects of pure subsidy policies on real GDP, trade, investment, and household consumption. The efficiency improvement policies also are effective in reducing more level of the rebound effect and lead to more energy saving in the economy, particularly in the petroleum products sector. The impacts on the rebound effect also differ across economic sectors. The results of this study provide new insights for energy subsidy policy and energy efficiency and suggest that additional tools and policies are required for improving the energy efficiency caused by phasing out energy subsidies. Malaysia, as one of the top energy subsidized countries, attempts to reduce the level of energy subsidies over time and, consequently, decline the use of fossil fuels in the economy. Therefore, this study analyzes the impacts of different subsidy reform policy on energy efficiency and, consequently, on economic and environmental performance and rebound effect of Malaysia by a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in energy demand has caused considerable attention to be directed toward sustainable energy resources. The importance of electricity generation through solar energy has been intensively highlighted globally, but Malaysia has yet to exert efforts to develop this energy resource. This study explores the social acceptance and level of human interest in solar energy. In addition, this work identifies the difficulties in the consumption of solar energy and the expectations for solar energy development in Malaysia. Survey results show that 80 % of the respondents are highly interested in solar energy. However, the majority of the respondents have reported that some hindrances, such as expensive solar panels and lack of correct information about solar energy utilization, make fuel-generated electricity a preferable choice. Meanwhile, almost 80 % of the respondents believe that government incentives could best enhance solar energy usage nationwide. To implement new solar energy policies successfully in Malaysia, the government should support the establishment of solar power plants, as well as provide complete information and funding for independent research. Furthermore, more than 70 % of respondents perceive the government to be the main organization that should lead the development of this energy sector. Therefore, this research provides some useful references for policy makers to continue promoting the use of solar energy in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ex-post evaluations of energy policies in Malaysia between 1970 and 2010 were conducted. The developments of energy policies in Malaysia were traced from the early 1970s with the introduction of the country's first energy-related policy all the way to 2010 with the country's first endeavour towards a biobased energy system. Analyses revealed that many of the policies were either: (1) directly responding to changes in global/domestic socioeconomic and political events, or (2) provided visions to guide developments of the energy sector in alignment with the country's growth agenda. Critical examinations of the country's actual energy consumptions during these 40 years were also conducted to evaluate the efficacy of these energy-related policies. Three noteworthy successes in Malaysia's energy landscape are: (1) the formation of PETRONAS as the national oil and gas company; (2) reduction of country's over-reliance on oil as a single source of energy by significantly growing the production and use of natural gas in a short span of time; and (3) creation of a thriving oil and gas value chain and ecosystem in the country. However, the country is still critically dependent on scarce petroleum resources, despite having an abundance of renewable reserves. Progress towards renewable energy has been too little and too slow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Asia’s largest biofuels producers are currently Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, China and India. This paper first examines the current status of biofuels in these countries, including the national development targets, strategies, incentives and policies. It then identifies the fundamental driving forces behind the development and promotion of these industries and considers their economic, social and environmental impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Within ASEAN, Malaysia is a major oil-exporting country; however, it is expected to become a net oil-importing country in the near future. This issue brings concerns over Malaysia's energy security, particularly on the aspect of oil import dependency. This is because its transportation and industrial sectors are still heavily dependent on oil products. By simulating dynamic interplays between developments in Malaysia's oil sector and its economy sectors, this study explores the possible years of the transformation and the extent to which it will be dependent on oil import. Four scenarios related to enhanced oil recovery, exploration and production investment, subsidy elimination and technology advances are considered for the simulation. In isolation, the subsidy elimination scenario provides the best result. However, if all scenarios are considered simultaneously, an undesired effect emerges. The earliest that Malaysia is expected to become a net oil-importing country is 2012 and the latest is 2021. Malaysia's dependence on oil imports is expected to continue increasing. In all scenarios, the shares of oil import in the total supply rise to above 90% in 2030, with the highest share at 97%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global commitment to climate change mitigation enforces the worldwide development of renewable energy sources. Therefore, various studies have investigated the growth of renewable energy in Malaysia, most commonly based on biogas and hydropower. In this article, the dynamics of Malaysia's renewable energy development is critically examined by using the latest official national reports and other reliable resources. Results: The study reveals the influencing factors that shape renewable energy growth in a developing country endowed with substantial biomass resources, such as Malaysia. Likewise, it evaluates the evolution of renewable energy in the electricity sector. In 2017, renewable energy represented about 3.5% of the Malaysian electricity generation mix with 1122 MW of installed capacity. A closer look into the renewable energy resources, i.e. biomass, biogas, solar and small hydro power, revealed that over 47% of the grid-connected power generation came from solar photovoltaic (PV) energy. While solar PV capacity continues to accelerate, the development of other renewable resources, especially biomass, is seeing growth at a significantly slower pace. This article investigates the underlying causes of the skewed development rate as well as the potential strategies that may be adopted to promote a diversification of renewable energy resources. In light of this, introduction of a new national bioenergy policy is proposed, through which four essential programmes could be implemented: (i) enhanced bioenergy conversion efficiency and waste management, (ii) biomass co-firing in coal power plants, (iii) conversion of biogas to biomethane and bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG), (iv) large-scale biomass power plants. A total of 4487 MW of additional power could be connected to the grid upon successful implementation of a large-scale biomass power plant programme. Conclusions: The establishment of a comprehensive and inclusive national bioenergy policy will lead towards a sustainable future of renewable energy development in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]