ABSTRACT
The starting point of this book was to analyse the apparent tensions between modernity and sustainability in energy transitions at different scales in Southeast Asia, with a specific focus on Thailand and Laos. These neighbouring countries were chosen not solely because they represent very different political systems and levels of economic development within Southeast Asia, but also because of their shared language and culture and increasingly mutually dependent energy relations, in particular in the spheres of electricity trade and investment. Moreover, both countries are undergoing rapid changes in the production and consumption of electricity in tandem with major changes in urban and rural livelihoods. Finally, they reflect the fact that discourses about regional integration and cooperation are becoming increasingly important in Southeast Asia. This dynamic context provided the background for the following fundamental research problem: how to conceptualise the tension between the increasing need for energy and the environmental impacts and pressures posed by this need?
