The Inaugural Energy Investment Summit is currently underway in Port Moresby’s Apec Haus with the aim to tap into clean energy and boost investment in the sector.
The event brought in participants from across the pacific region including global investors and non-government organizations to explore the energy market in the pacific.
Speaking during the event, National Energy Authority Managing Director, Ronald Meketa urged the Island countries to encourage local independent power producers (IPP) in the energy sector.
“Encourage local pacific Island IPP participants,” Meketa said.
“In the Pacific we should encourage more IPP participation form within the Pacific. Let’s not bring in Koreans into the Solomon Islands negotiations, look at the cost. It would be really encouraging to have local Pacific Island IPPs then those coming from outside regions with additional costs.”
He said bringing foreign players into the sector incurs extra costs, as the island country will have to pay for development, which is why ‘negotiations are key’ to working within the region.
Moreover, significant discussions are also being made for the potential of clean energy use in the region and ways to bridge the gap between independent and state energy producers.
The 2026 Energy Investment Forum held in Port Moresby marks the first time that a dedicated investment forum has been convened as a pre-PRETMM event, creating a bridge between the technical and policy work of energy practitioners and the ministerial deliberations that will follow at the 6th Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministerial Meeting.
The forum commenced on the 27th of April and will conclude on the 29th of April 2026.
