Sydney – The Asia-Pacific region energy systems are edging towards systemic failure as extreme heat intensifies, according to the latest 2025 Asia-Pacific Disaster Report from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The report warns that climate-driven heat will push the region power infrastructure past its breaking point precisely when billions of people need cooling the most.
ESCAP projects that the share of power plants exposed to days above 40°C is expected to more than double to 8 per cent by 2099 across the region, with the surge expected to be most extreme in South and South-West Asia, where exposure could climb to more than 20 per cent. Under a high-emissions pathway, the share of power plants exposed to days above 45°C could rise to nearly 13 per cent in this sub-region by the end of the century, compared to near zero historically.
The Twin Stress Driving Collapse
The report, titled Rising Heat, Rising Risk, identifies a “twin stress” that is causing power systems to become the first point of collapse during heatwaves:
• Surging Demand: Heatwaves cause sudden and massive spikes in electricity demand as millions rely on air conditioning for survival. Global cooling demand is expected to more than triple by 2050 with current air conditioning systems already responsible for 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
• Shrinking Supply: Simultaneously, soaring temperatures weaken the grid and generation capacity. Thermal power plants lose efficiency as cooling water warms, transmission lines sag and carry less current, and solar PV systems lose about 0.5 per cent efficiency for every 1°C rise in air temperature.
This imbalance demand surging while supply shrinks is already causing crucial brownouts during the hottest days.
Deadly Cascading Consequences
ESCAP cautions that these power failures have cascading consequences that quickly become deadly, especially for vulnerable populations without backup systems. When the grid collapses during extreme heat, hospitals lose cooling, water systems shut down, food supply chains are disrupted, and urban safety nets dissolve.
The report urgently recommends that governments act quickly by strengthening heat-resilient power planning. This includes integrating comprehensive water-energy-food strategies, expanding passive and nature-based cooling solutions (like urban forests and cool roofs), and building regional “green cooling corridors” to rapidly scale up efficient cooling technologies.
Without decisive action, ESCAP warns that the relentless rise in climate-driven heat will push the region’s essential energy systems past the breaking point, threatening the lives and livelihoods of billions.