The mission of the APEC Expert Group on New and Renewable Energy Technologies (EGNRET) is to facilitate an increase in the use of new and renewable energy technologies in the APEC region. The activities of the EGNRET will be directed towards meeting the energy challenges identified by APEC Leaders and Energy Ministers. In addition, the EGNRET will develop and implement projects that contribute to the EWG’s objectives and strategic initiatives. The projects will be implemented primarily through the following Initiatives and Leaders’ Declarations:

• APEC 21st Century Renewable Energy Development Initiative;
• Energy Smart Communities Initiative (ESCI);
• APEC Smart Grid Initiative (ASGI);
• Doubling the share of renewables in the APEC energy mix by 2030

The purpose of aforementioned APEC Energy Minister endorsed initiatives is to advance the use of renewable energy to promote sustainable economic development and growth within the APEC region. The initiatives address the principal objectives of the APEC EWG by fostering a common understanding of regional renewable energy technology issues, facilitating trade and investment in new and renewable energy technologies and services, and reducing the environmental impact of the energy sector through applications of new and renewable energy technologies.

In addressing these objectives, the Expert Group may be involved in the following types of activities, depending on the level of available funding and member-economies’ priorities relating to renewable-energy development:

• developing effective policy recommendations for addressing impediments to the increased use of renewable energy technologies and for including renewable energy in domestic energy plans;
• implementing renewable energy resource assessments to facilitate a thorough understanding of the availability of adequate resources in APEC-member economies;
• promoting the commercialization of renewable energy technologies in such a way as to make them economically viable in a wide range of applications;
• establishing procedures and mechanisms for the routine exchange of pertinent information among member economies, focusing especially on officials responsible for decisions on energy supplies and operators and maintainers of renewable energy systems;
• identifying and mobilizing, as appropriate, industry, financial institutions, and government sources of financing, technical assistance and education programs by making these sources more aware of the benefits of renewable energy applications and the issues associated therewith;
• recommending and organizing activities to promote renewable-energy technology co-operation, so as to utilize existing technical expertise in APEC-member economies;
• promoting the development of the renewable-energy technological and services infrastructure to provide a basis for an effective, quality system of installation and maintenance;
• promoting the development of renewable energy technologies for specific applications that demonstrate the effectiveness of using these technologies to achieve specific economic or social goals of APEC-member economies;
• engaging in renewable-energy technology-assessment and related activities to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of renewable-energy applications;
• developing the human resource base to improve the analytical, technical, operational and policy capacity within member economies in the area of renewable-energy development;
• facilitating improved reliability and stability in the provision of energy supply to meet demand;
• conducting research related to reduction of carbon intensity in the APEC region;
• promoting urban sustainable development in the APEC region through smart cities development and the exchange of best practices on deployment of new and renewable energy technologies combined with smart grid, energy efficiency, etc.;
• conducting research related to doubling the share of renewables by 2030 in APEC’s energy mix;
• strengthening collaboration with other APEC fora such as APERC, EGEE&C, EGEDA, APSEC, LCMT Task Force, PPFS, Policy Partnership on Science, Technology, and Innovation (PPSTI), and disseminating results of related APEC projects, e.g., PRLCE, PREE, and LCMT;
• collaborating with International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Energy Research Institute Network (ERIN), Clean Energy Solutions Center from the Clean Energy Ministerial, and International Copper Association Ltd. (ICA) on promotion of renewable energy in the APEC region.

In carrying out the above tasks, the Expert Group is to be guided by the following strategies:

• to foster technology transfer for renewable energy based on local and regional industrial development;
• to engage industry, financial institutions, government officials, and NGOs, as appropriate;
• to improve the level of information exchange between member economies on existing initiatives to address market barriers;
• to assess the potential for replicating successful initiatives to breakdown market barriers;
• to identify and pioneer new initiatives to breakdown market barriers;
• to establish links with - and use of - existing technology-information databases and clearing houses;
• to encourage the development and use of energy planning tools that include renewable energy.

The Terms of Reference of EGNRET will be reviewed every two years.

The chair and vice-chair of the expert group are elected by consensus at expert group meeting for a two-year term of office.

An EGNRET secretariat will be established to assist the chair in organizing EGNRET meetings and provides administrative support to the EGNRET. The secretaries will be nominated by the chair, and endorsed by EGNRET Representatives to hold the EGNRET secretariat.

In the event that the chair cannot attend a specific EGNRET meeting, then the vice-chair will serve as chair for that meeting, or alternatively the chair may designate the EGNRET secretariat or co-chair to chair the meeting on his/her behalf.

The hosting of expert group meetings is on a voluntary basis. The EGNRET meetings will be held once or twice per year depending on whether there are member economies volunteering themselves to host. The host economy shall do its best to assist with the conduct of expert group meetings, including the provision of support/secretarial staff.

Quorum for EGNRET meetings constitutes attendees from 14 economies. Should the EGNRET fail to meet quorum for two consecutive meetings it will be referred to Senior Officials for a decision on whether it should continue to exist.

EGNRET has a term of four years starting from1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025. At the expiration of this and any subsequent term, EGNRET and its ToR shall be reviewed (by EGNRET and EWG) and a recommendation on renewal put to EWG for approval.