Daily Update — October 14, 2026
South, Southeast Asia’s Energy Transition; Rising Sovereign Bond Yields; and GCC Data Centers
Today is Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Expansion
South And Southeast Asia Energy Transition In Charts: The Rise Of Power Storage
Solar power is booming in South and Southeast Asia, but battery storage is not. S&P Global Ratings anticipates that if countries are to meet their renewable energy goals, they will need to invest in battery energy storage systems to help balance the grid, ease transmission bottlenecks and prevent power loss.
In many markets, utilities are installing solar power paired with batteries more quickly than they are installing storage alone. The ability to grow these storage projects depends on having clear regulations and predictable income. While falling costs are making storage of about four hours more affordable, developers must still manage risks related to battery degradation and performance standards to ensure healthy returns.
Economy
Listen: Emerging Market Perspectives: The Cost of Capital and the Digital Divide
Higher sovereign bond yields are raising the cost of money across the global economy, with significant implications for emerging markets. In this episode of “The Decisive” podcast, host Kristen Hallam spoke with Thea Fourie, head of Middle East and Africa insights and analysis at S&P Global Market Intelligence, about the forces keeping borrowing costs elevated and why some economies are better positioned to withstand the pressure.
The conversation also explored the opportunities and transition risks created by AI. Fourie discussed how gaps in infrastructure, digital access, workforce skills and capital could widen the divide between economies — and what governments and businesses can do to improve AI readiness. Fourie also examined the risks that El Niño poses to growth, inflation, interest rates and government support in 2027.
Artificial Intelligence
Gulf Data Centers: What Will Make The AI Infrastructure Build-Out Bankable?
Data centers in Gulf Cooperation Council countries are increasingly being treated as a critical part of national infrastructure, alongside power, water, transport and industrial infrastructure. Digital sovereignty, including the growing need to keep data within national borders and to develop local capacities in infrastructure, compute and talent, are reinforcing this trend.
Data centers are central to GCC countries’ digital and AI ambitions as governments and businesses seek to build computing infrastructure for AI and cloud services. In just a few years, GCC countries have moved from hosting relatively small enterprise colocation facilities to announcing some of the world's largest AI-focused data center campuses.
In case you missed it
- African swine fever is reshaping trade flows and influencing feed-buying decisions for Spain’s pork market as exporters navigate disease-related restrictions and changing global demand.
- Myanmar is targeting 3 million metric tons of rice exports for the fiscal year ended March 2027, supported by growing Philippine demand and an expansion of export-oriented production, according to Myanmar Rice Federation Chairman U Ye Min Aung.
- El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean have intensified, with sea surface temperatures above the threshold and an over 83% chance of a very strong event during January-March 2027, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Upcoming events
- M&A in Focus: Cross-Border Deals in a Fragmented World | October 20 (Webinar)
- Compass Series 2026, Baltics: Mapping Energy Expansion with Sustainability | October 22 (Riga, Latvia)
- Africa Summit 2026 | November 10-11 (Lagos, Nigeria)