Empowering the future: Clean energy innovations, regional cooperation and integration, and financing solutions.
2 – 6 June 2025 | ADB Headquarters, Manila
ACEF 2025 Speakers
ALL SPEAKERS
Prabhjot Rehan Khan
Asian Development Bank
Prabhjot Rehan Khan
Asian Development Bank
Bio
Prabhjot is a Senior Social Development Specialist (Gender and Development) at the ADB with more than twenty years of experience in gender equality and social development. She has worked extensively on policy advocacy, promoting policies and initiatives aimed at advancing gender equality and addressing issues related to gender discrimination, bias, and inequality. She has wide-ranging experience of gender mainstreaming in infrastructure (transport, energy, urban, water) and social (health, social protection, education, skill development) sectors. Prabhjot joined ADB in 2012 and before that she worked with UN Agencies and with civil society organizations supporting programs on advancement of women. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Science from Nagpur University, India (2003).
Pradeep Tharakan
Asian Development Bank
Pradeep Tharakan
Asian Development Bank
Bio
Pradeep Tharakan has over 20 years of experience focused on global energy and environmental issues. Pradeep has worked for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) since 2010. He currently serves as ADB’s Director for Energy Transition and is responsible for guiding ADB’s interventions in related areas such as industrial decarbonization, critical minerals and clean energy supply chains, offshore wind development and scaling up climate finance for the energy transition. Over the past decade, Pradeep has led the origination, implementation, and close-out of energy infrastructure projects totaling 3 billion USD. This includes solar parks, energy efficiency projects, large hydropower projects, and cross-border power trade projects. Pradeep has a PhD in Environmental Science, an MBA, and a master’s degree in public policy and administration.
Prasun Pandey
CLASP
Prasun Pandey
CLASP
Bio
Prasun Pandey works with CLASP India. At CLASP, he primarily works on cooling and cold chain related energy efficiency policies and market transformation programs. In the past, he has helped businesses develop and implement sustainable growth strategies. He holds a master’s degree from TERI School Of Advanced Studies, Delhi.
Pratish Halady
ADB
Pratish Halady
ADB
Bio
Pratish Halady is ADB’s Southeast Asia Regional Head for Private Sector Development, and works across all of ADB’s product lines to develop and execute strategies focused on private capital mobilization and private sector participation in the region. He has been with ADB for 13 years and has held prior roles in the Office of the President where he supported a strategic reorganization of the Bank, as founding member of the Office of Public–Private Partnership where he closed PPP transaction advisory projects for government agencies in Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines, and as head of ADB’s remedial management unit which focused on restructuring and distressed debt recovery. Prior to that, Mr. Halady was a manager with Macquarie Capital in New York where he focused on principal investing and investment banking in the telecom and energy services sectors. Mr. Halady holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters and Bachelors in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
Priyantha Wijayatunga
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Priyantha Wijayatunga
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Bio
Priyantha has over 35 years of professional experience including 17 years in ADB. He served as the Director, South Asia Energy Division and Chief of Energy Sector Group prior to assuming the current position in June 2023. Before joining ADB, he served as the founder Director General of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and a Senior Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Moratuwa. He has extensively contributed in the areas of energy policy and regulation, energy planning and clean energy development. Priyantha holds a Doctorate in Power Systems Economics from the Imperial College London had been a regular Academic Visitor at Imperial College London during the period 1993-1998. He was a Chairman of the South Asia Forum for Infrastructure Regulators (SAFIR) and was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Ceylon Electricity Board and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority. He was an Advisory Board member of the Melbourne Energy Institute at the University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), a Chartered Electrical Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET), UK. He is a Past President of the Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association.
Pu Jianjiang
Hitachi Energy
Pu Jianjiang
Hitachi Energy
Bio
In 2009 Jianjiang started his career as an Electrical Engineer working for General Electric in Shanghai China, provide high voltage equipment for renewables and energy storage solution. Jianjiang then moved into Sales and Marketing role in 2014 and relocated to GE’s APAC HQ in Singapore to serve Southeast Asia market, where he lead the commercial and business development activities with a regional team. In 2020, Jianjiang took on new challenge with SAFT Batteries to build its APAC energy storage team in Singapore and made break through with several wins across the region. Jianjiang joint Hitachi Energy Grid Edge Solutions team in 2022 up to today.Jianjiang and has been involved in the development and construction Energy Storage systems since 2019 and currently heads up Regional Sales&Market manager for Hitachi Energy’s Grid Edge Solutions in Singapore. In his role, Jianjiang is responsible for developing new energy storage projects and support customer embark on journey of decarbonization with innovative solutions that can be deployed in off-grid and on-grid applications, as well as identifying new business opportunities for Hitachi Energy’s innovative grid stabilizing technology.
Qiang Li
Chongqing Carbon Consultant & Management Technolog Co. Ltd.
Qiang Li
Chongqing Carbon Consultant & Management Technolog Co. Ltd.
Bio
Li Qiang,Born: March 1985.Affiliations: Member of the Communist Party of China, Senior Engineer, Consulting Engineer (Investment), Certified Expert of the China Engineering Consulting Association, Member of the Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Specialized Committee of the China Society of Environmental Sciences, Vice Chairperson of the Chongqing Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Standardization Committee, and recipient of the "Jiangbei Talent - Leading Talent" award. Current Position: Executive Director of Chongqing Carbon Manager Technology Co., Ltd. Research Expertise: Climate change response and low-carbon policies and technologies; Over a decade of experience in policy research and project consulting related to climate change and low-carbon development; Led and participated in over 30 national, international collaborative, and provincial-level research projects, along with more than 100 consulting initiatives.
Rachel Anne Herrera
Climate Change Commission, Philippines
Rachel Anne Herrera
Climate Change Commission, Philippines
Bio
Rachel Anne Herrera is a commissioner of the Climate Change Commission, the agency for policy-making and program coordination on climate change under the Government of the Philippines. She is the designated national focal for gender and climate to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and chairs the CCC Gender and Development Focal Point System. She served as co-lead for the formulation of the country’s first National Adaptation Plan and NDC Gender Action Plan, and on the Green Climate Fund Board as alternate member for Asia-Pacific countries. Ms. Herrera has more than 18 years of experience in the public and international humanitarian sector. Previously, she served as chief legal and legislative officer in the Office of Senator Loren Legarda when it chaired the committees on climate change, finance, foreign affairs, and environment, where she supported the enactment of a number of climate and environmental laws and treaties, including the Philippines’ accession to the Paris Agreement. She has degrees in law and environmental science.
Rafayil Abbasov
Asian Development Bank
Rafayil Abbasov
Asian Development Bank
Bio
Rafayil is a Senior Energy Specialist at ADB, where he leads complex energy sector reforms, corporate restructuring of state-owned utilities, and the development of cross-sectoral, climate-resilient infrastructure across ADB’s emerging and frontier markets. With over 15 years of experience, Rafayil is committed to advancing ADB’s mission of solving complex challenges together through integrated solutions, innovation, and inclusive policy reform. Rafael has played a central role in ADB’s Emerging Areas Operations (Energy), delivering upstream and strategic support in Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Vanuatu and Palau. His expertise includes financial sustainability analysis, SOE reform, sector unbundling, and designing incentive-based regulatory frameworks. He has also led regional cooperation programs such as OPERA (Pacific), fostering knowledge sharing, private sector engagement, and institutional capacity building across small island developing states. He currently manages advisory and technical assistance programs in selected ADB DMCs, supporting the transformation of public utilities, strengthening regulatory institutions, and enabling clean energy investment. His work focuses on designing and implementing multi-sectoral solutions that align infrastructure, governance, and sustainability - most notably through initiatives/investments such as the Tina River Hydropower Project in the Solomon Islands, the ADY Railway Decarbonization Program, and the SOCAR Green Operationalization Initiative in Azerbaijan, and advisory support to the Climate Finance Center in the Kyrgyz Republic. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Management and Governance from the London School of Economics and a BA in Finance from Azerbaijan State Economic University. Rafael is a strong advocate for collaborative development, integrated systems thinking, and policy innovation to accelerate energy transitions in complex and resource-constrained environments.
Ranishka Wimalasena
Asian Development Bank
Ranishka Wimalasena
Asian Development Bank
Bio
Ranishka Wimalasena is a Senior Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and is based in the Headquarters in Philippines. Ranishka possesses over 22 years of professional experience mainly in the energy sector development initiatives including policy formulation, promotion of renewable energy, energy infrastructure development, and mobilizing climate financing. He has extensive working experience in South Asia and Pacific. Ranishka holds a master’s degree in Energy Planning and Policy from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
Reena Suri
Reena Suri
Bio
Reena Suri is the Executive Director of the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF), a globally recognized think tank established as a public-private partnership initiative by the Government of India. With over 24 years of experience in the energy and power sector, she has been instrumental in advancing smart grid policies, digital transformation, and clean energy adoption in India. Under her leadership, ISGF has emerged as a leading platform for innovation, collaboration, and policy dialogue in areas such as smart grids, e-mobility, energy storage, and grid-interactive buildings.Reena is the Founder-Editor of the Smart Grid Bulletin, ISGF’s flagship monthly publication launched in January 2014, which has become a trusted source of industry insights and developments. She has represented India in numerous international energy forums and has led several high-impact initiatives to promote sustainable and inclusive energy transitions.A strong advocate for gender diversity in the energy sector, Reena spearheads programs and partnerships aimed at empowering women professionals and increasing female participation across the energy value chain. Her work continues to inspire collaborative, forward-looking approaches to shape a resilient and equitable energy future.
Reji Kumar Pillai
India Smart Grid Forum
Reji Kumar Pillai
India Smart Grid Forum
Bio
Reji Kumar Pillai is the President of the India Smart Grid Forum and Chairman of the Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF), with over 40 years of global experience in the electricity sector. A renowned thought leader in renewable energy, smart grids, and electric mobility, he has championed transformative initiatives to modernize electric grids and ensure 24x7 access to clean, affordable electricity. Reji is a strong advocate for the “Right to Electricity” and “Right to Sleep,” promoting equitable energy access and climate-controlled environments for low-income communities. His work spans advanced topics such as vehicle-to-grid systems, distributed energy storage, AI and Web 3.0 applications in utilities, and regional grid integration in Asia. He has advised international organizations including ADB, World Bank, USAID, AREC, APUA, and ISGAN. An entrepreneur and mentor to global tech startups, Reji has a multidisciplinary academic background in engineering, finance, management, and law, and previously worked with NTPC and IBM. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has contributed extensively to publications and policy discourse on smart energy systems.