Power generation sources in malaysia: status and prospects for sustainable development

Electric energy has been the integral part of industrialization and socioeconomic development of a country. Electric power generation in Malaysia significantly depends on three major fossil fuel sources, namely coal, natural gas and fuel-oil. These fossil fuel based power generation causes negative environmental consequences and depletion of fuel reserves. Malaysia has set to achieve the status of a developed country by2020 through achieving sustainable development. To this end, Malaysia is on a need for sustainable energy, which is the main pillar of sustainable development. The major tools to achieve sustainable energy are renewable energy and energy efficiency. Fortunately, Malaysia is endowed with huge renewable energy resources, particularly biomass, solar, small hydro and ocean. This country has also initiated several energy policies for supporting renewable resources and energy efficiency. Nevertheless, studies show that current patterns of power generation in Malaysia shall not be sustained in the future owing to environmental impacts and depletion of fossil fuel reserves. In this work, we will review power generation sources in Malaysia to foresee the anticipatable challenges and put forward the enabling resources the country can utilize to counteract the challenges. This study provides valuable insights to trace power generation challenges and employ appropriate measures towards building a sustainable power generation in Malaysia