APEC Policy Recommendations on the Mutual Enhancement between AI and Energy in the Asia-Pacific
(2026–2030)

1. Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and energy modernization and innovation are among the most important trends influencing economic progress, and they are more intertwined and mutually dependent than ever before. As AI is an energy-intensive technology, secure, reliable, efficient and affordable energy supply is becoming a key determinant of AI development. At the same time, AI technologies have diverse application scenarios in the energy sector, including enhancing the security, resilience and flexibility of energy systems.

The APEC region is at the forefront of global AI development. APEC economies are exploring opportunities and best practices in advancing the mutual enhancement of AI and energy and sharing a rich variety of policy and technology options.

At present, domestic policy and regulatory frameworks, and industrial and technical ecosystems related to AI and energy, are yet to be integrated. Further collaborative efforts to enhance the intersection of these two sectors can unlock new value.

This document is positioned as a cooperative, flexible and voluntary APEC tool that aims to provide recommendations for APEC economies in innovation, knowledge sharing, policy and technological cooperation on voluntary and mutually agreed terms while highlighting APEC’s role in advancing the mutual enhancement of AI and energy globally.

The overarching objective of this document is to support the related commitments in the APEC Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative (2026–2030) and the 15th APEC Energy Ministers Meeting Joint Ministerial Statement, by providing voluntary recommendations on the application of AI to modernize energy systems and on the development of energy systems to support the AI deployment.

2. Shared Understandings

APEC economies recognize that the mutual enhancement of AI and energy is important for the advancement of both sectors, presenting opportunities for energy security and modernization, as well as strong, balanced, secure, and sustainable economic growth. APEC economies acknowledge that APEC is a diverse and complementary platform, well-suited for facilitating voluntary exchanges on this emerging area. APEC economies recognize that the cooperation should respect the economies’ domestic legal, regulatory, cybersecurity and security frameworks.

3. Key Areas

3.1 Reliable and Resilient Energy Supply for AI Development

— Encourage the coordinated planning of AI computing facilities and energy infrastructure, ensuring that AI infrastructure plans are aligned with domestic energy plans and that energy infrastructure planning anticipates AI-related demand. Meanwhile, resilient backup systems and grid-stabilization mechanisms should be integrated to mitigate the impacts of high-density data loads on domestic grid reliability.

— Develop context-specific energy supply solutions for AI computing with adequate and diversified energy supplies, promoting technical innovation to enhance power quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

— Encourage the voluntary sharing of information on mutually agreed terms and mutual learning on standards, benchmarks and best practices related to the mutual enhancement of AI and energy while recognizing the importance of security, accessibility, trustworthiness and reliability.

— Deploy energy-efficient technologies for AI computing facilities, and improve tools for demand-side response and energy monitoring, assessment, management and performance tracking, while ensuring cybersecurity, data protection, supply-chain integrity and operational safeguards for energy monitoring and management systems.

— Encourage interested economies with the technical and economic capacity to deploy large-scale intelligent computing clusters to consider the use of more zero- and low-emissions energy, including renewable energy, and nuclear power for those economies who choose to use them, for newly built computing infrastructure.

3.2 Digitalized and AI-enabled Transformation of Energy Systems

— Explore the AI applications and their applicability in forecasting, decision making and analysis for energy systems, improving efficiency, flexibility and resilience where appropriate and subject to domestic governance and cybersecurity requirements, to support secure and trustworthy development and deployment, and human-centric adoption, as applicable in each economy.

— Support diverse pilot and demonstration projects to accumulate practical experience, and expedite the commercial and industrial deployment of proven technologies.

— Promote the use of AI to accelerate energy innovation, including technology research, advanced energy data analytics, and system optimization, with a view to reducing costs, risks and deployment timelines.

3.3 Technology Innovation for AI and Energy

— Increase resource investment and encourage research and innovation on advancing AI and energy integrations.

— Promote the creation of diverse application scenarios, e.g., AI-powered load forecasting and virtual power plants simulations and analysis, to support the testing and validation of innovative technologies and solutions.

— Promote the application of AI technologies to enhance the efficiency, safety, and performance of conventional energy infrastructure, including predictive maintenance, process optimization, and monitoring of environmental performance and externalities.

— Explore possibilities of cross-sector innovative partnerships between the AI and energy sectors to promote collaborative research, technology development and voluntary knowledge-sharing on mutually agreed terms.

3.4 Regional Cooperation for the Benefits of All

— Encourage enabling environment for investments and facilitate regional energy interconnectivity to strengthen the energy-supplying infrastructure for AI.

— Promote cooperation in developing interdisciplinary talent at the nexus of energy and artificial intelligence.

— Foster an open and collaborative ecosystem by strengthening cooperation and voluntary knowledge-sharing on mutually agreed terms, among governments, industry, research institutions, and other stakeholders.

— Encourage efforts to balance the energy demands of AI and data center expansion with robust protections for consumer interests, ensuring that technological growth does not compromise energy affordability for local communities.

4. APEC Cooperation

Recognizing the value of cooperation in advancing the mutual enhancement of AI and energy, the following areas are proposed for future collaboration among APEC economies.

4.1 Policy Dialogue

APEC economies may engage in exchange of knowledge on best practices and policies related to the mutual enhancement of AI and energy.

4.2 Technical Exchange

APEC economies may encourage voluntary exchanges on mutually agreed terms on relevant technologies, tools, models, infrastructure and cases on the mutual enhancement of AI and energy, to support cooperation, innovation and mutual learning.

4.3 Capacity Building

APEC economies may strengthen capacity-building cooperation, including through the voluntary sharing of knowledge and experience, and technical assistance on mutually agreed terms to support economies in enhancing their AI-energy related capabilities.

4.4 Standards Cooperation

APEC economies may engage in voluntary discussion on AI-energy related benchmarks and standards.

4.5 Trade Facilitation

APEC economies may foster international market integration by enabling trade in AI-energy products, services and solutions, and facilitating business-to-business (B2B) matchmaking, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), thereby accelerating the deployment of efficient digital technologies across the Asia-Pacific region.

5. Implementation

The implementation of this document will build on previous and ongoing work and progress achieved in the region and will complement existing APEC commitments that are consistent with the objectives of this document.

The Energy Working Group (EWG) will have the overall responsibility for monitoring and reviewing progress in the implementation and development of this document. The EWG will report periodically to the Senior Officials’ Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) and APEC Energy Ministers to seek further guidance, given the evolving nature of the mutual enhancement of AI and energy.

APEC economies support the establishment of a Task Force on the Mutual Enhancement of AI and Energy under the EWG, as a voluntary, non-duplicative coordination mechanism, focused on information exchange and complementing existing APEC initiatives to support the implementation of this document, with Terms of Reference to be defined in a timely manner. The Task Force may facilitate discussions and information exchange under the EWG framework, and work in close collaboration with EWG subsidiary bodies.

The EWG may also consider strengthening cross-fora collaboration including policy exchange and information sharing with relevant groups, including the Digital Economy Steering Group (DESG), the Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC), the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) and the Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TELWG), to explore cross-cutting issues related to AI and energy development, avoid duplication of work and enhance synergies.