APERC official says AI can help Asia-Pacific energy systems use less power

An APERC senior vice chair says artificial intelligence, grid upgrades and green technologies are helping reshape the Asia-Pacific energy transition as demand rises and energy security pressures grow. He argues APEC economies should focus on efficiency, resilience and practical cooperation, drawing lessons from China’s long-term energy planning.

Why it matters: - AI could help APEC economies cut energy waste by improving how industrial equipment, data centers and wider power systems operate. - The Asia-Pacific region is facing rising electricity demand and tighter energy security pressures, making efficiency and resilience central to the energy transition. - The energy shift is not only about adding renewable generation. It also depends on better grids, smarter operations and cooperation across economies.

What happened: - Robert Tromop, Senior Vice Chair of the APEC Energy Research Centre, said AI’s biggest role is not the data centers themselves but how AI can optimize the energy system. - Tromop made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Southern Finance. - He said AI can help reshape future energy consumption patterns and expand energy-saving potential in industrial operations. - He also pointed to wind and solar growth, along with grid upgrades, as part of the region’s changing energy landscape.

The details: - Tromop said APEC economies differ in development levels and resource endowments. - He said economies should learn from one another to find energy transition pathways that fit local conditions. - Tromop said energy cooperation should put consumers first. - He said the benefits of the energy transition should reach more economies and more people through sustained innovation and practical collaboration. - He highlighted China’s long-standing work on energy planning and energy-saving technology upgrades. - He said China’s progress in green technologies, including wind and solar power, offers useful lessons for the Asia-Pacific region. - Tromop said planned, long-term transformation matters more than short-term crisis responses. - He said China can identify opportunities, decide what can change and move ahead with firm implementation.

Between the lines: - Tromop’s comments frame AI as an efficiency tool, not just a new source of electricity demand. - The message also suggests the region’s energy transition will vary by economy, with no single model likely to fit all markets. - China is presented as a reference point for combining policy planning, technology upgrades and execution at scale.

What’s next: - APEC economies will likely continue balancing near-term supply concerns with longer-term investment in efficiency, grid resilience and clean power. - Further progress will depend on whether economies can translate AI and green technology gains into practical energy savings. - Regional cooperation and shared technical lessons are likely to remain central to the transition.

The bottom line: - The region’s energy future will hinge as much on smarter use of power as on producing more of it.