Energy security has moved up APEC’s agenda this year as electricity demand from data centers and artificial intelligence grows. In a November 3, 2026 briefing ahead of Leaders’ Week in Shenzhen, the APEC Secretariat listed energy security among the year’s focus areas, alongside digital transformation, supply chain resilience and food systems. Leaders’ Week begins on November 14, and the Leaders’ Meeting takes place on November 19. For utilities, technology firms and energy-intensive manufacturers, the ministers’ commitments set the frame for regional cooperation on grids, reserves and critical minerals.
What energy ministers agreed
The 16th APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting took place in Beijing on September 10 and 11, 2026. It was chaired by Wang Hongzhi, Administrator of China’s National Energy Administration, under the theme “Forge an Innovative and Synergistic Asia-Pacific Energy Community for All.” Ministers endorsed three annexes:
- Vision and Proposed Actions on Universal Access to High-Quality Energy in APEC
- APEC Non-Binding Principles for Promoting Energy Security Synergy
- APEC Policy Recommendations on the Mutual Enhancement Between AI and Energy in the Asia-Pacific (2026–2030)
The joint statement instructs the Energy Working Group to “establish the Task Force on the Mutual Enhancement of AI and Energy.” It also calls for “coordinated planning and development of energy and computing infrastructure.”
Demand, grids and supply security
According to APEC, electricity consumption in the region “could nearly double by 2060,” driven by electrification, data centers and changing transport needs. APEC also reported that electricity demand from AI training data centers grew 17 percent in 2025, while global electricity demand grew 3 percent.
The ministers’ statement says demand is growing, “driven by broader electrification” and by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data centers. It calls for grid reliability “in a technology-neutral manner.” On security of supply, it refers to the “timely restoration of critical energy infrastructure,” the protection of “submarine power cables and pipelines,” and “strategic reserve management.” On critical minerals, ministers said “we support secure, sustainable and resilient supply chains.”
The statement restates two regional goals: doubling the share of renewable energy in the regional energy mix from 2010 levels by 2030, and reducing energy intensity by 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2035. China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang told the meeting that “the Asia-Pacific accounts for roughly 60 percent of global energy production and consumption.”
What to watch in Shenzhen
The energy statement does not ask for a report to leaders. The Secretariat said in its November 3 briefing that economies have “examined AI applications in energy, services and trade,” and that AI is expected to feature prominently when leaders meet on November 19. Companies will be watching whether the leaders’ declaration refers to energy security or to the new AI and energy task force, and how the Energy Working Group takes that work forward in 2027.
