ADB Scaling Up Energy and Digital Infrastructure through Regional Cooperation
3 May 2026
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is scaling up energy and digital infrastructure across Asia and the Pacific. It is backing a $50 billion Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative, which will expand cross-border electricity trade and renewables integration, and a $20 billion Asia Pacific Digital Highway to close the digital gap and prepare economies for AI-driven growth.
Regional cooperation is central to ADB's strategy, as it builds on existing subregional cooperation initiatives such as the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grid interconnection planning, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Power Grid, and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Energy Strategy 2030.
About 20 gigawatts of renewable energy will be integrated across borders, connecting 22,000 circuit-kilometers of transmission lines, to improve energy access to 200 million people in Asia and the Pacific, generate 840,000 jobs, and reduce power sector emissions by 15% in the region.
ADB will also help provide first-time broadband access to 200 million people and improve digital connectivity to 450 million people, cutting connectivity costs in remote and landlocked areas by roughly 40% and helping create 4 million jobs.
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