Beyond Transition: Building Secure, Resilient, Inclusive, and Intelligent Energy Systems
8-11 June 2026 | ADB Headquarters, Manila
ACEF 2026: Call for Abstracts
About ACEF 2026
A leading clean energy forum bringing together more than 1,500 clean energy practitioners from across Asia and the Pacific
The Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) is a flagship annual event for clean energy professionals across Asia and the Pacific, now in its 21st year. Each year, more than 1,500 experts, innovators, and decision-makers come together at ADB Headquarters in Manila to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and explore practical solutions for the region's energy challenges.
The Forum brings together participants from governments, the private sector, academia, financial institutions, NGOs, and development organizations, creating space for meaningful collaboration and knowledge exchange on the energy issues shaping the region.
ACEF 2026 will be held under the theme "Beyond Transition: Building Secure, Resilient, Inclusive, and Intelligent Energy Systems." This year, the Forum will explore four essential dimensions of energy transformation:
- Building Energy Security. Ensuring reliable and affordable energy through diverse clean sources and stronger transmission, distribution, and storage infrastructure.
- Enhancing Resilience. Strengthening energy systems to maintain stable supply, meet varying demand, and support private sector continuity.
- Forging Inclusion. Ensuring all stakeholders, including marginalized groups, can participate in and benefit from the creation of a more equitable energy system that meets the diverse needs of a country.
- Fostering Intelligent Energy Systems. Leveraging digital technology, AI, and real-time data to optimize energy use, reduce environmental impact, and support economic stability.
The four-day in-person Forum will feature plenary sessions, thematic tracks, deep-dive workshops, spotlight sessions, and regional discussions.
participants annually
speakers across all sessions
focused Thematic Tracks
experts speakers elected through the Call for Abstracts process
What Is an ACEF Abstract?
If you have innovative research, transformative solutions, or practical insights that can help strengthen secure, resilient, inclusive, and intelligent energy systems, we invite you to submit an abstract for ACEF 2026.
Whether it is successful policy implementation, innovative financing models, digital energy applications, community-driven initiatives, or system resilience strategies, we welcome contributions that offer implementation-oriented lessons and actionable insights.
The ACEF Organising Team solicits abstracts from clean energy practitioners across Asia and the Pacific and globally. Abstracts will be reviewed as the basis for selecting speakers for the ACEF 2026 Thematic Tracks.
Clean energy practitioners are encouraged to submit abstracts aligned with one of the four thematic tracks outlined below.
Thematic Tracks
Building Security for Sufficient Energy Systems and Sustainable Economic Growth
Exploring the nexus between energy security, infrastructure resilience, and economic sustainability, focusing on strategies that balance immediate needs with long-term stability.
As the global demand for energy continues to rise, nations face the dual challenge of ensuring reliable energy supply while fostering economic growth. This track will explore the intersection of energy security, infrastructure resilience, and economic sustainability, focusing on strategies that balance immediate needs with long-term stability.
The Building Security track will explore how four interconnected pillars — resilient infrastructure, diversified energy sources, strong policy frameworks, and technological innovation — build sufficient energy systems that propel economic growth and enhance both energy and economic security. Participants will dive into energy infrastructure mechanisms that facilitate the monitoring of and protection from disruptions associated with natural disasters, cyber threats, and geopolitical tensions.
Key Questions
- How can developing economies secure affordable energy without compromising environmental commitments?
- In what ways can digitalization and smart grid technologies enhance energy reliability and efficiency?
- How should governments prepare for and mitigate the economic risks of energy supply disruptions?
- What policy innovations could simultaneously drive energy security and stimulate sustainable economic growth?
Energy Infrastructure Resilience
Efforts are underway to secure energy systems that can withstand natural disasters, cyberattacks, and supply chain disruptions. Mechanisms that strengthen grids, pipelines, and storage facilities best ensure uninterrupted energy supplies. What technological, social, and regulatory mechanisms exist to improve resilience during disruptive challenges?
Diversification of Energy Sources
Countries in the region are endeavoring to acquire a mix of energy resources that remove reliance on a single energy source or supplier. A diversified mix — renewables, nuclear, and cleaner fossil fuels — reduces risk, enhances flexibility, and supports a smoother transition to sustainable economic growth. Participants will examine whether diversification is a one-size-fits-all formula, or whether diversification depends on country characteristics.
Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Energy Security
National and regional frameworks generally guide securitization efforts. Evidence of shared interest among nearby countries articulated under joint frameworks appear to demonstrate enhanced energy security compared to countries that seek securitization alone. How do clear, forward-looking policies encourage investment, innovation, and international cooperation that enables regional security aligned with long-term economic goals of neighboring countries?
Technological Innovation and Smart Integrated Systems
Advances in AI, IoT, and smart grids can shore up energy security by transforming passive power into active, decentralized, intelligent networks. Discussion on how this is done in energy exchanges, pools, and independent system operator cross-border networks can shed light on how energy security is enhanced with blockchain technology, real-time data, predictive capabilities, and synchronized autonomy.
Powering Through: Enhancing the Resilience of Energy Systems for Stable and Reliable Supply
A deep dive into resilience strategies for ensuring stable and reliable energy availability — from generation to end-use — in an era of environmental volatility and rapid technological change.
In an era of increasing environmental volatility, geopolitical uncertainties, and rapid technological change, the resilience of our energy systems has never been more critical. This track takes a deep dive into resilience, bringing together experts from energy policy, infrastructure engineering, renewable integration, and digital innovation to explore strategies for ensuring stable and reliable energy availability — from generation to end-use.
The discussion will examine how to address the balance between sustainability goals and the urgent need for uninterrupted supply, highlighting real-world case studies and forward-looking innovations. By the end of the session, participants will gain actionable insights into building energy systems that are not only robust in the face of crises but also adaptable to future demands.
Key Questions
- What are the most pressing threats to energy system resilience today, and how can they be mitigated?
- How can renewable energy integration be accelerated without compromising grid stability?
- In what ways can digital technologies like AI and IoT enhance predictive maintenance and outage prevention?
- How should governments and private sectors collaborate to finance and implement resilient infrastructure upgrades?
- What role does decentralized energy generation (e.g., microgrids) play in improving reliability during crises?
- How can energy resilience strategies be tailored for both developed and developing regions with differing resources?
Anticipating and Managing Disruptions
Identifying key vulnerabilities in current energy systems (climate events, cyber threats, supply chain issues) enables successful derisking. Discussions will focus on building redundancy and contingency plans to minimize energy systems' downtime. Examples of success stories and challenges will be shared.
Diversification and Decentralization of Energy Sources
Expanding renewable portfolios while maintaining base-load stability. Leveraging microgrids, distributed generation, and storage solutions for localized resilience are key efforts for improved resilience. How can decentralized energy systems enhance and diversify energy supply portfolios without reducing system effectiveness and efficiency?
Smart Infrastructure and Predictive Technologies
Using AI, IoT, and advanced analytics for real-time monitoring and fault detection enables predictive maintenance to prevent failures before they occur. How is predictive maintenance through smart predictive intelligent technologies enhancing resilience of energy systems in Asia and the Pacific Region?
Policy, Investment, and Cross-Sector Collaboration
Aligning regulatory frameworks with resilience goals. Mobilizing public-private partnership and private sector finance for modernization and innovation needed to drive the development of regional energy systems. What are the limits of PPP funding for requisite regional system upgrades? What other finance options or other solutions exist?
Forging Inclusion in Developing Energy Systems Strategy and Planning
Exploring how diverse voices — policymakers, communities, industries, and innovators — can shape equitable, sustainable, and resilient energy futures.
As the energy transition accelerates, the need for inclusive strategies in energy systems development has never been more urgent. Track 3 will explore how diverse voices — including policymakers, communities, industries, and innovators — can shape equitable, sustainable, and resilient energy futures.
The discussion will highlight the intersection of technology, policy, and social equity, emphasizing how inclusive planning can address energy access gaps, empower marginalized communities, and ensure that the benefits of clean energy are shared fairly. Participants will share real-world examples, lessons learned, and forward-looking strategies for embedding inclusivity into every stage of energy system design, from policy frameworks to infrastructure deployment.
Key Questions
- How can inclusion be embedded as a core principle in national and regional energy strategies, rather than as an afterthought?
- What role do local communities play in shaping energy system planning, and how can their input be meaningfully integrated?
- How can policymakers balance the urgency of decarbonization with the need for equitable access to energy?
- What innovative financing or partnership models can ensure marginalized groups benefit from clean energy investments?
- How can data and technology be leveraged to identify and address inequities in energy access and distribution?
- What are the most significant barriers to inclusive energy planning, and how can they be overcome in both policy and practice?
Embedding Equity in Energy Policy Frameworks
Policies set the foundation for how energy systems are designed, funded, and implemented. If equity is not built into these frameworks from the start, marginalized communities risk being left behind in the energy transition and beyond. This sub-track ensures the conversation addresses systemic change, not just project-level fixes.
Community-Centered Energy Planning
Communities are the end-users of energy systems, yet they are often excluded from decision-making. By centering their voices, strategies become more relevant, culturally sensitive, and sustainable. This sub-track examines how inclusion is not symbolic — but rather about co-creating solutions that work in real-world contexts.
Inclusive Innovation and Technology Deployment
Technological advancements can either close or widen the energy access gap. Without intentional inclusion, innovations like smart grids or renewable microgrids may bypass those who need them most. Discussion will focus on how to deploy innovative clean energy technology in ways that benefit all, not just the well-resourced.
Financing and Partnerships for Beyond Just Energy Transition
Even the best strategies fail without sustainable funding and collaboration. Inclusive financing models and equitable partnerships ensure that vulnerable groups can participate in, and benefit from, the clean energy economy. This sub-track brings a practical lens to making inclusion financially viable.
Fostering Intelligent Energy Systems – Going Beyond Transition
How AI, IoT, advanced analytics, and decentralized grids are redefining how we produce, distribute, and consume energy — going beyond transition to transformation.
As the global energy landscape evolves, the conversation is shifting from transition to transformation. Intelligent energy systems — powered by AI, IoT, advanced analytics, and decentralized grids — are redefining how we produce, distribute, and consume energy. This track will explore how innovation, policy, and cross-sector collaboration can create resilient, adaptive, and sustainable energy ecosystems that go beyond simply replacing fossil fuels with renewables.
Going beyond the transition aims to attain an intelligent, interconnected energy future that is sustainable and adaptive to changing needs.
Key Questions
- How is AI and digitalization important to mining critical mineral and rare earth elements?
- How are intelligent energy systems defined and how do they differ from a traditional renewable energy set up?
- What role will AI and machine learning play in optimizing energy generation, distribution, and consumption?
- Looking ahead 10–15 years, what breakthroughs could redefine the way we think about energy entirely?
Smart Grid Integration & Real-Time Energy Management
Smart grids enable dynamic, two-way communication between energy providers and consumers, allowing for real-time monitoring, load balancing, and fault detection. This is essential for integrating variable renewable sources like solar and wind while maintaining grid stability and efficiency. How can demand response move energy systems beyond transition into sustainable, resilient, secure pathways to inclusive robust economic growth?
AI-Driven Analytics, Robust Data Management and Cybersecurity as Essential Pillars of Modern Energy Systems
AI and advanced data systems are becoming fundamental elements of the modern energy system. As power grids become more digitalized and decentralized, it is critical that all stakeholders understand both the opportunities, the risks, and how to build resilience to those risks.
Digitalization and AI Accelerating Discovery and Optimal Processing of Important Clean Energy Inputs
AI models can analyze decades of historical geological data, satellite imagery, and geophysical surveys — identifying more promising critical mineral and rare earth finds that normally could take months or years. This sub-track explores optimizing discovery, extraction, and processing of critical minerals and rare earths through combined clean energy, cutting-edge digitalization, and AI endeavors.
Digitalization, Environment, and People
Even the most advanced technologies can't thrive without supportive policy frameworks, a skilled workforce, and equitable access. Regulations must encourage innovation while protecting consumers, and strategies must ensure rural, low-income, and marginalized communities benefit equally from intelligent energy systems. This sub-track explores how to balance digitalization and AI-required data centers alongside the environment, and to equip people with knowledge and skills to benefit from digital advancements.
Guidance for Abstract Submission
Please review all requirements carefully before submitting your abstract.
Important Note: Selected speakers will be responsible for their own travel costs to Manila. Please ensure that you are able to manage your travel expenses before submitting your abstract.
Practical Focus
Abstracts should focus on practical and implementation-oriented clean energy solutions rather than purely theoretical concepts. Base submissions on successful experiences and lessons learned.
One Track Only
Align your abstract with one of the four Thematic Tracks. The same abstract submitted under more than one Thematic Track will not be accepted.
Policy Alignment
Abstracts should be consistent with ADB's Strategy 2030 operational priorities and ADB's Energy Policy to ensure relevance to the Forum's agenda.
Speaker Benefits
The registration fee will be waived for speakers selected to present at ACEF 2026. Note: cancellations within three weeks of the event may restrict access to future editions.
Word Limit: 150 Words
Each abstract must be no more than 150 words. Be concise and clearly reflect the value of the topic to the ACEF agenda.
Who Should Apply
Clean energy practitioners from across Asia and the Pacific and globally are encouraged to submit, covering projects, programs, initiatives, or innovative business models.
Ready to Share Your Work?
Submit your abstract by the deadline and join over 200 experts shaping Asia's clean energy future at ACEF 2026.