Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) customers can now scrutinise their electricity usage with a new and more detailed bill format following the implementation of a new electricity tariff structure recently announced by the Energy Commission. The government approved the new structure under the Incentive-Based Regulation (IBR) mechanism under Section 26 of the Electricity Supply Act 1990. According to the official myTNB website, customers will receive bills that include a breakdown of three main components: Generation Charge, Network Charge, and Retail Charge.

Malaysia urgently requires skilled talent and technical expertise in electrical engineering, renewable energy, grid systems, and nuclear technology, in line with the government’s focus on the future energy sector, said Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof. Fadillah, who is also the energy transition and water transformation minister, said career opportunities in these fields are growing rapidly, not only within the public sector but also across the expanding high-technology private sector.

Tech giant Google is investing money into a futuristic nuclear fusion plant that hasn’t been built yet but someday will replicate the energy of the stars. It’s a sign of how hungry big tech companies are for a virtually unlimited source of clean power that is still years away. Google and Massachusetts-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced a deal Monday in which the tech company bought 200 megawatts of power from Commonwealth’s first commercial fusion plant, the same amount of energy that could power roughly 200,000 average American homes.

The new electricity tariff under Regulatory Period 4 (RP4), set to take place from July 1, 2025, to Dec 31, 2027, is said to be a major reform in Malaysia’s energy sector. This updated tariff indeed includes notable changes to the current tariff design which, if executed well, could promote the national agenda towards energy transition while ensuring power system security and resilience. Nevertheless, there are implications of the new tariff structure that need to be further highlighted and clarified to ensure that the well-intended enhanced tariff design can achieve its full potential.

When it comes to electricity, many only bother to think about it at the end of every month, when the bill comes in. However, beyond our monthly bills and keeping our homes and businesses running, consuming electricity carries an environmental cost – one which becomes increasingly significant when this resource is used wastefully. Understanding this causal connection is a crucial challenge in safeguarding environmental sustainability and community well-being. To ensure future generations are aware of their role, it is essential to instil the knowledge and habits needed from a young age.

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) has welcomed the electricity tariff restructuring under the Regulatory Period 4 (RP4), describing it as a rebasing exercise that offers greater cost transparency and encourages demand-side management. In a statement on Tuesday, FMM said the new structure reflects a 19% overall reduction in tariff rates, taking into account current fuel prices.

Malaysia's Regulatory Period 4 (RP4) electricity tariff restructuring can serve as a powerful tool to promote behavioural change and accelerate country's low-carbon agenda, if paired with smart technologies, targeted financial incentives, and inclusive support mechanisms, an energy expert said.

The implementation of the new electricity tariff schedule starting July 1 is a clear reflection of the major reforms being undertaken by the government, particularly in the national energy sector, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. Fahmi, who is also the Madani government spokesperson, said the initiative aligns with the National Energy Transition Roadmap, which aims to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions by 2050.

Malaysia is expected to add 6-8 gigawatts of gas-fired power by 2030 to address growing electricity consumption driven by demand from data centres, an industry official said. The country is expected to see the fastest surge in data centre power demand in southeast Asia, with its share of electricity consumed by data centres in the region to triple to 21% by 2027 from 7% in 2022, a joint report in May by Bain & Co with others including Google and Temasek showed.

Asia, home to more than half the world’s population, is heating up nearly twice as fast as the rest of the world, with surging temperatures intensifying extreme weather, threatening food security and fragile ecosystems, and inflicting billions in economic losses, according to a new United Nations report.

Despite paying some of Southeast Asia’s highest electricity prices, Filipino households continue to endure unreliable power supply and frequent blackouts – a costly reality in a country rich in solar energy potential. Filipino consumers pay some of the highest electricity rates in Southeast Asia – second only to the high-income economy of Singapore.

China will nearly double its nuclear power capacity by 2040, making it by far the world’s largest nuclear power generator, according to a new report by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA). The country is set to build dozens of new reactors to raise its installed capacity to 200 gigawatts – more than double the US’ current capacity – by the end of the next decade, the Chinese industry body said in the paper released on Monday.