Track 4: Charting the Future of Clean Energy in Asia

Session 4: The Utility of the Future in Asia: What are the Likely Models?
The 100+-year-old electric utility model is being disrupted by a variety of forces: increasing penetration of renewable energy, including distributed generation and variable output solar and wind; rapid growth in demand, which stresses electricity grids; rapid decreases in the cost of solar, wind, and “smart grid” technologies; and the Paris climate change accord. How are traditional utilities and electricity regulators responding to these forces? Discussions will cover advanced grid technologies, electricity market evolution, and prospective contributions of carbon capture and storage.

Session 8: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Clean Energy
At COP21 in Paris, countries across the globe committed to national determined contributions (NDCs) to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Rapid deployment of clean energy solutions will be critical for countries in Asia Pacific countries to meet these commitments. There are gaps and barriers that stand in the way of countries successfully achieving NDCs, and these will need to be overcome during implementation. This session will be a follow up the earlier plenary on NDCs, by focusing on how to effectively implement NDCs in Asia-Pacific countries by translating the commitments into action on the ground.

Session 12: Smart Cities: Perspectives on the Clean Energy Transition
The built environment―mainly urban areas―accounts for up to 75% of global resource consumption as well as conventional pollutant and GHG emissions. As the global center of economic gravity shifts to Asia, and in particular to Asia’s cities, how can a sustainable future be ensured for billions of people? The concept of smart cities will provide the backdrop for a discussion of key policy and financing issues, with case studies from the Asia region.

Session 16: What will ASEAN's Clean Energy Transition Look Like?
The ASEAN region presents a microcosm of the global challenges for a transition to a sustainable energy future. Despite the commitments to increased clean energy, and Asia’s abundance of renewable energy resources, the capacity of fossil-fueled power plants is projected to grow rapidly in the region. Major changes in regulatory policy will be required to shift to a more sustainable trajectory. Speakers in this session will present legal and regulatory analyses, data on electricity pricing, and prospects for a new generation of biomass energy development.

Session 20: Transport and Energy: Examples that Work and Directions for the Future
The transport sector accounts for about 30% of total global energy use, and demand is projected to double during the next 15 years. Liquid renewable fuels are expected to play a limited role in meeting demand growth. Presentations in this session will include the potential contributions of renewable energy to electrified transport, the role of 21st century urban planning and the smart cities paradigm, and a case study of sustainable transport.

Session 24: The Food, Water, and Energy Nexus: Perspectives from Asia
The pursuit of sustainable energy at scale has taken place mainly in the traditional, utility-oriented business space. This approach can easily overlook the world’s bottom billion, who do not have access to commercial energy, clean water and sanitation, and are at the greatest risk of food insecurity. The bottom billion are also highly vulnerable and least able to adapt to the risks of climate change. Speakers in this session will present case studies on successful approaches to the complex challenges associated with ensuring food and water security in parallel with more sustainable energy services.