Palau Hosts Pacific Power Association Conference, Spotlighting Energy Transformation

By: Summer Kennard

KOROR, Palau — Palau is once again at the center of regional energy discussions as it hosts the 32nd Annual Pacific Power Association (PPA) Conference and Trade Exhibition, a gathering that has drawn more than 250 participants, including utilities, international donors and private sector partners.

This year’s theme, “Smart Grids and Digital Transformation in Energy,” reflects Palau’s push to modernize its power systems and prepare for a clean energy transition. For a nation long reliant on diesel generation, the shift toward renewable energy requires a fundamental reworking of infrastructure and digital integration.

“Our grid is transforming to become more smart,” said Torual Gibbons, corporate services manager at the Palau Public Utilities Corporation. “That means more connectivity, digitizing, and synchronizing with networks. In order to move to renewable energy, we need to make sure our grid is prepared.”

The five-day event features workshops, board and CEO forums, and a trade exhibition showcasing the latest technology and services for Pacific utilities. Development partners in attendance include the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Union, JICA and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Regional utilities span from the North Pacific — Guam, Saipan, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Nauru — to South Pacific nations such as Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

Gibbons emphasized that Palau’s challenges mirror those across the Pacific. “We’re all Pacific Islands, and we share the same challenges,” he said. “Conferences like these help us find ways to overcome them together.”

PPA Executive Director Gordon Chang said the association’s annual conference is more than a meeting of utilities. “We have three types of membership — utilities, development partners and allied members,” he explained. “With the development partners, they receive funding for the utilities. Funding is very critical for us, and it also makes it possible for utilities to attend and participate.”

The event, supported by local sponsors such as IP&E, Blue Bay, Surangel & Sons, WCTC and Palau Royal Resort, highlights the growing role of international and regional cooperation in building resilient energy systems. Chang noted that the theme is deliberately chosen to align with global trends, giving Pacific utilities the chance to learn and adapt.

For Palau, the conference is both timely and strategic. Its national goal of increasing renewable energy use cannot be met without smarter, digitally capable infrastructure. “This conference really gives us the opportunity to exchange information, new concepts and new ideas in dealing with transformative change,” Gibbons said. “And I hope delegates take the same value home — because after all, we all share the same restrictions and challenges.”