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The APEC Sustainable Energy Center (APSEC) is China's first international energy cooperation institution established under the leadership of the National Energy Administration (NEA). As one of the two research centers under the APEC Energy Working Group (EWG), APSEC is operated and managed on a day-to-day basis by Tianjin University. Through its three pillar programs—the APEC Cooperative Network of Sustainable Cities (CNSC), Clean Energy Technologies for the Future (CET), and Energy Transition Solutions (ETS)—APSEC continues to promote sustainable energy dialogue, clean energy technology cooperation and capacity building among APEC economies.
Ahead of the APEC summit, Energy Observer (eo) interviewed APSEC President Zhu Li and other experts on topics including APEC energy cooperation, energy access and high-quality universal energy services, energy security synergy, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and energy. Other interviewees included Sun Yong, an APSEC researcherand member of the ETS program team and lecturer at Tianjin University; Yan Zhexing, a member of the CNSC program team and lecturer at Tianjin University; and Yu Guanyi, head of APSEC's think tank office and associate professor at Tianjin University.
Zhu and her team believe that the central outcome of this year's meeting is that the vision of an "energy community" has evolved into a practical governance framework. The number of people without access to electricity in the Asia-Pacific has fallen dramatically from around 480 million to approximately 14.12 million, marking a major leap forward in energy access. However, striking a balance between service quality and affordability remains a fundamental challenge. Looking ahead, the integration of AI and energy is set to become the next frontier.
Zhu has served as the founding president of APSEC since 2015. She is currently vice dean of the School of Energy at Tianjin University, deputy director of the National Energy Storage Technology Industry-Education Integration Innovation Platform, and a professor and doctoral supervisor. She received her PhD in chemical process machinery from Tianjin University in 2005 and was previously a senior visiting scholar at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in the United States.
From energy access to quality energy services
eo: Over the past 12 years, the Asia-Pacific energy agenda itself has undergone a significant shift. When the APEC Energy Working Group adopted its energy access initiative in 2020, around 480 million people across the APEC region still lacked access to electricity. According to the latest World Bank data, that figure has now fallen to approximately 14.12 million, a decline of about 97%. In your view, as the focus shifts from energy access to universal access to high-quality energy services, what has been the biggest leap forward, and what remains the greatest challenge?
APSEC: The biggest leap has been a shift in the underlying approach to governance—from expanding energy access to improving the quality of energy services. At the stage when the priority was simply whether people had access to electricity, the central task was to extend electricity infrastructure to reach more people, with clearly defined engineering targets and implementation pathways. China's rural power grid upgrading programs, and electrification programs implemented in Indonesia and Vietnam in recent years, are important examples of efforts at this stage.
As the focus shifts to "how good the service is," however, the concept of energy access becomes much broader. The World Bank's Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) for energy access has expanded the assessment beyond basic connectivity to multiple dimensions, including capacity, availability, reliability, affordability, and safety. This means that energy governance cannot rely solely on one-off investment; it also requires continuous improvements in grid operation and maintenance, regulatory frameworks, and customer service mechanisms.
The greatest challenge at present is striking a balance between improving service quality and ensuring affordability. The remaining population without access to electricity, as well as users experiencing poor-quality power supply, tend to be concentrated in remote, low-demand and low-income areas. Extending conventional power grids to these areas is costly, while improving the reliability of electricity supply requires sustained investment. Distributed solar photovoltaics (PV), energy storage and microgrids offer new technological pathways to address this challenge. However, the corresponding regulatory frameworks, business models and mechanisms for protecting consumer rights and interests still need to be further developed.
Therefore, moving from energy access towards universal access to high-quality energy services is not simply about expanding the scale of energy supply; it represents a step forward in energy governance capacity. Looking ahead, APEC energy cooperation should also promote greater sharing of experience in energy service quality oversight, digital management, and ensuring access to energy for vulnerable groups.
eo: For economies that still face electricity shortages, is there a tension between investment in conventional energy and carbon-neutrality goals? How does APSEC help these economies balance universal energy access, affordability and the green energy transition?
APSEC: Within the APEC framework, the tension between "ensuring electricity supply first" and carbon-neutrality goals is not a challenge to be sidestepped. Rather, it is addressed through an orderly approach to the energy transition that puts alternatives in place before existing energy sources are phased out. As made clear at the meeting, there is no one-size-fits-all pace for the energy transition. Differences in resource endowments and stages of development among economies must be respected, while ensuring that energy security and people's basic energy needs are not compromised during the transition. This principle provides policy space for economies that still face electricity shortages. Where universal energy access has yet to be fully achieved, additional investment in conventional energy remains a necessary means of safeguarding the right to basic energy access, while renewable energy and smart technologies can be prioritized in new capacity additions. Together, these approaches can form a dual-track pathway through the transition.
In this process, APSEC serves as a bridge for capacity building. On the one hand, it advances practical cooperation through projects under the APEC Energy Working Group. For example, APSEC's project, Long-Term Impact of Renewable Energy on Energy Access, has received the endorsement of all 21 APEC economies and has been formally approved. Co-sponsored by Chile, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, the project focuses on capacity-building activities and the promotion of innovative technological solutions for situations where energy access remains challenging. On the other hand, among the five voluntary contributions released by China as the host economy during the meeting week is a document entitled "Recommended Solutions for Developing New-Type Power Systems Adapted to High Penetration of Variable Renewable Energy." Developed with support from China Southern Power Grid (CSG), the document sets out a structured framework across three dimensions—technology, policy and cooperation. Designed to be both adaptable and modular, the framework provides economies at different stages of development with technical pathways for transitioning from conventional power systems towards systems capable of accommodating high shares of variable renewable energy. APSEC's role is to help economies identify the right combination of solutions for their own resource endowments and circumstances, providing practical and actionable pathways, as well as relevant experience, to help them strike a dynamic balance among universal energy access, affordability and the green energy transition.
Breaking down silos and strengthening regional early warning
eo: Beyond ensuring a reliable electricity supply, the concept of energy security is also expanding, from security of supply to encompass supply chains, power grid resilience, cyber security and climate resilience. Against a backdrop of geopolitical conflicts compounded by extreme weather events, which regional coordination mechanism do you believe should be given the highest priority for strengthening?
APSEC: Early warning of risks, emergency response and resource sharing are, in fact, different links in the energy security governance chain. Early warning is about identifying potential problems before they materialize; emergency response is about responding swiftly when they occur; and resource sharing enables coordinated support across regions. If I had to identify the area that most urgently needs strengthening at present, I would prioritize regional early-warning and information-sharing capabilities.
First, extreme weather is becoming a major challenge for energy systems across the Asia-Pacific, with impacts that often extend across regions. Typhoons, heatwaves, cold spells and droughts can affect not only conventional energy supplies, but also renewable energy output and power grid operations. Greater emphasis is therefore needed on identifying risks to energy systems at an early stage.
Second, the APEC region already has a foundation for cooperation in meteorology, power and energy. However, there is still room to strengthen energy data sharing, risk assessment and coordinated early-warning mechanisms among economies. This is particularly important as the share of renewable energy continues to rise. Weather forecasting alone is no longer sufficient. It is also necessary to assess the broader impacts of weather events on electricity supply, changes in demand and energy markets.
Third, a stronger early-warning system for energy risks can provide valuable lead time for emergency response and resource sharing. Without accurate risk identification, it is difficult to deploy emergency resources where they are needed most, and the full potential of mutual assistance across the region cannot be realized. Of course, early warning does not operate in isolation; it needs to be closely coordinated with emergency response mechanisms and resource-sharing arrangements.
Looking ahead, APEC energy cooperation could further promote the exchange of energy risk information among economies, strengthen the integration of meteorological, power system and supply chain data, and enhance the resilience of regional energy systems to extreme events and uncertainty. China's proposed solutions for enhancing power system resilience and developing new-type power systems capable of accommodating high shares of variable renewable energy point in the same direction. As the share of renewable energy increases, forecasting, system flexibility and risk management capabilities will become increasingly important foundations of energy security.
Building consensus amid differences
eo: How do APSEC's three pillar programs— CNSC, CET and ETS —address the needs of economies at different stages of development?
APSEC: The 21 APEC economies vary widely in their levels of development. For most developing economies, the key constraint is indeed not a lack of resources, but capacity gaps. "It is simply not possible for all 21 economies to advance at the same pace." Once consensus has been reached, implementation pathways tailored to each economy's stage of development are therefore needed. APSEC's three pillar programs— CNSC, CET and ETS—are designed to facilitate cooperation in line with this fundamental principle. Notably, the clean energy technology transfer program was originally called Clean Coal Technology (CCT). Following the introduction of China's goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, and in response to China's priorities for international cooperation and the issues of concern to APEC economies, the center for Clean Coal Technology (CCT) was upgraded to a center for Clean Energy Technologies for the Future (CET) under the guidance of the National Energy Administration. This evolution also reflects the changing priorities of APEC energy cooperation.
In the area of sustainable city cooperation, the "APEC Cooperative Framework for Jointly Driving Cities towards Zero Carbon and Near-Zero-Carbon" is grounded in the region's practical development needs and respects the domestic circumstances and priorities of each member economy. It aims to establish a collaborative governance platform for APEC zero-carbon and near-zero-carbon cities, while facilitating the sharing of experience in urban energy transition and zero-carbon development. In the areas of clean energy technology transfer and energy transition solutions, APSEC develops appropriate technology roadmaps, energy transition strategies and pathways, and phased implementation plans tailored to the stages of development of different economies.
One specific example is our work in North Sulawesi province, Indonesia, under the Data Driven Carbon Neutral Disaster Resilient Cities project. A six-day multi-stakeholder dialogue (MSD) held in the provincial capital, Manado, brought together representatives from the development planning authorities of the North Sulawesi provincial government and its four cities and 11 regencies, as well as local universities and stakeholders from the energy, finance and agriculture sectors and women's organizations. Together, they developed a long-term carbon-neutrality vision for the province and set three targets for 2030 covering energy intensity, carbon emissions intensity and the share of renewable energy. The outcomes of the dialogue were ultimately incorporated into an APEC publication of more than 200 pages, which put forward seven recommendations that could serve as a reference for other cities and provinces. As part of the project, we also proposed training local planning officers in cities and municipalities across the Asia-Pacific in the MSD methodology so that they can jointly advance carbon-neutrality goals. Of course, the biggest obstacle remains bridging the gap between financing and implementation on the ground.
The next frontier: Mutual enhancement of AI and energy
eo: Looking back at APSEC's own evolution—from its early focus on clean coal technology training to today's emphasis on "renewable energy, energy storage and new-type power systems"—what do you see as the next frontier?
APSEC: I believe the next frontier will be the integrated development of artificial intelligence and energy. Around the world, AI is reshaping competitive dynamics and development models with unprecedented breadth and depth, and has become a key driver of industrial transformation and economic transition. At the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, the Republic of Korea, APEC leaders adopted the APEC Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative (2026–2030), the first APEC leaders' outcome document dedicated to AI. The Initiative underscores the importance of security, accessibility, trustworthiness and reliability in AI development. At this year's APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting, ministers also endorsed the APEC Policy Recommendations on the Mutual Enhancement Between AI and Energy in the Asia-Pacific (2026–2030), APEC's first consensus document dedicated to this emerging field. The meeting also unanimously agreed to establish a Task Force on the Mutual Enhancement of AI and Energy under the APEC Energy Working Group (EWG).
There is a clear rationale for why this has become the next frontier. The variability associated with a high share of variable renewable energy is, at its core, an information-processing challenge—one that requires more accurate forecasting, faster system balancing and smarter dispatch. AI is evolving from a tool for improving efficiency into an essential, system-wide enabler of modern power systems. At the same time, the massive computing requirements of AI are themselves reshaping regional energy demand patterns. As a result, energy systems and AI systems are becoming increasingly interdependent.
APSEC's own project portfolio shows that work in this area is already under way. It proposed and secured approval for the APEC self-funded project entitled "The Energy-AI Nexus: Strategic Imperatives for Energy for AI Infrastructure in the APEC Region," and has also designated the integrated development of AI and energy to empower future cities as the research theme of its annual flagship report. Within the APEC Energy Working Group framework, APSEC will continue to use its self-funded project research and flagship report as key vehicles to deepen policy dialogue, joint research, capacity building and practical cooperation on AI and energy, helping to translate consensus into action and project outputs into demonstration initiatives.
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