United States promotes nuclear energy diplomacy in ASEAN

The United States Embassy in Jakarta and the US Mission to ASEAN welcomed the visit of an American nuclear communication and public engagement expert to Indonesia as part of a regional tour in ASEAN. The arrival of Dr. Kelle Barfield is part of the Freedom 250: American Leadership in Energy Security initiative, which encourages constructive dialogue on civilian nuclear energy—creating local jobs, strengthening energy security, and maintaining air quality. In a programme held in Jakarta, Barfield discussed small modular reactors (SMRs), promoting civilian nuclear energy as the future of energy security. “Indonesia is not starting from zero. This country has decades of experience with research reactors, as well as the human resources and expertise to continue developing them,” she said. She added that the success of nuclear energy development is also determined by the level of public trust in the technology. According to her, with nuclear, it is not just a question of whether the technology works or how much it costs, but whether the public supports it. “This is where cooperation with the United States makes a real difference: a long and successful track record of being transparent with the public and engaging local communities about the benefits of nuclear energy,” she stated. Dr. Barfield also explored regional perspectives in supporting ASEAN energy security through safe and reliable SMR technology, in meetings with officials from the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), the ASEAN Nuclear Energy sub-sector network, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. US Embassy Spokesperson Jamie Ravetz said the United States is proud to partner with Indonesia and ASEAN in advancing safe, transparent, and high-standard nuclear energy solutions. “SMRs represent a real opportunity to strengthen energy security across the region—and the United States is ready to support that future,” he said.