APAEC 2016-2025 covers the energy component of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025.  Its Phase 1 (2016-2020) directs ASEAN towards achieving the following strategic measures in seven programme areas:

1. ASEAN Power Grid (APG): Initiate multilateral electricity trade in at least one sub-region in ASEAN by 2018.
2. Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP): Enhance connectivity within ASEAN for energy security and accessibility via pipelines and regasification terminals.
3. Coal and Clean Coal Technology: Enhance the image of coal in ASEAN through promotion of clean coal technologies (CCT).
4. Energy Efficiency and Conservation: Reduce energy intensity in ASEAN by 20% as a medium-term target in 2020 and 30% as a long-term target in 2025, based on 2005 levels.
5. Renewable Energy: Aspirational target to increase the component of renewable energy to 23% by 2025 in the ASEAN Energy Mix (or TPES: Total Primary Energy Supply).
6. Regional Policy and Planning: Better profile the ASEAN energy sector internationally. 
7. Civilian Nuclear Energy: Build capabilities in policy, technology and regulatory aspects of nuclear energy.

Current priorities of the ASEAN energy cooperation are to secure its energy needs and to create favourable conditions for ASEAN’s goals in clean energy development.  The latter aligns with the efforts to promote energy transitions for sustainable development, policies and mechanisms in the region. 

In addition to the current aspirational target of 23% share of renewable energy in the TPES, a consensus on a new regional target for renewable energy deployment in the power sector by 2025 is expected. Since the energy intensity reduction of 24.4%  was already achieved as of 2019 based on 2005 levels, the current regional target is set at 30% by 2025.  An even more ambitious energy intensity reduction target is expected to be announced soon via the release of APAEC Phase 2: 2021-2025.

To advance regional power integration and multilateral power trade in ASEAN, follow-up activities on the key recommendations to meet the minimum requirements for multilateral power trade are ongoing, including efforts to develop the supporting role of energy regulators in multilateral power trade, and complete the ASEAN Interconnection Masterplan Study (AIMS) III that updates the transmission infrastructure needed to support multilateral power trade and integrate renewables into the ASEAN Power Grid.