Electricity exports from Laos to Vietnam rose sharply in early 2026 as Vietnam increased purchases to support growing energy demand and strengthen supply stability.
Vietnam imported around 2.92 billion kWh of electricity from Laos during the first quarter of 2026, nearly 120 percent higher than the same period last year, according to Vietnamese energy data.
Before the latest surge, Vietnam had already been steadily increasing electricity imports from Laos as power demand continued rising, especially in its northern industrial areas.
By the end of 2025, Vietnamese authorities had approved electricity imports from 47 Lao energy projects with a combined capacity of more than 8,260MW. Projects with installed capacity totaling 2,379MW were already supplying electricity to Vietnam last year, up from around 1,700MW in 2024.
Regional Exporter
The growth comes as Laos continues positioning itself as a regional energy exporter under its long-running “Battery of Southeast Asia” strategy.
Hydropower remains the backbone of Laos’ energy sector. According to recent international energy assessments, Laos had around 12.4GW of installed hydropower capacity in 2025, accounting for most of the country’s electricity generation.
In recent years, Laos has also expanded investment in wind and solar energy, especially projects aimed at export markets. One of the largest developments is the Monsoon Wind Power Project in southern Laos, which exports electricity directly to Vietnam through a dedicated transmission line.
Cross-border electricity trade has become increasingly important for the Lao economy.
Earlier this month, Laos and Thailand also discussed expanding energy cooperation, with electricity exports to Thailand alone reaching more than USD 2.3 billion in 2025, according to Lao authorities.
At the same time, Laos continues developing major transmission infrastructure projects with neighboring countries, including new high-voltage connections with China and Vietnam aimed at strengthening regional power integration.
Despite growing export volumes, Laos still faces domestic energy challenges during the dry season, when lower water levels can reduce hydropower generation and place pressure on the national grid.
Vietnamese authorities are also planning additional transmission upgrades to support larger electricity imports in the coming years while expanding domestic renewable energy and energy-saving measures to reduce pressure on supply systems.


