Diversification of energy supply: prospects for emerging energy sources
This paper examines the status, future prospects, environmental implications, investment and infrastructure requirements, and risks of alternative energy sources such as solar resource, wind power, and unconventional gas. Solar resource is considered excellent across developing Asia, while the wind resource is strong in several economies. While shale gas is a fast-emerging unconventional gas, it may develop slowly in the region due to various limitations, including challenging geological conditions, lack of geological data, and dense populations in prospective areas.