Meeting Summary

Summary of the 9th APEC Energy Data and Outlook Expert Group Meeting
February 24-25, 1998 in Seoul


The 9th APEC Energy Data and Outlook Expert Group Meeting was held on 24 and 25 February 1998 at the Sheraton Walker Hill Hotel, Seoul, Republic of Korea, chaired by Mr. Kenichi Matsui. Participants came from Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Republic of Korea; Philippines; Chinese Taipei; USA; the South Pacific Forum represented by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC); ASEAN EC Energy Management Training and Research Center (AEEMTRC); and the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC).

The meeting started with the welcome addresses of Dr. Jeong-Shik Shin, President of the Korea Energy Economics Institute, and Mr. Joon-Ho Han, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea. The meeting had the following three main discussion items.

  1. Current Status of the APEC Energy Database
  2. Activities of the APERC
  3. Terms of Reference of the Expert Group
1. Current Status of the APEC Energy Database

Mr. Shigeru Kimura, senior researcher of the Energy Data and Modelling Center, Coordinating Agency (CA) of this Group reported that the CA collected annual data for 1996 and quarterly data for 1997. He pointed out that there are still problems in data collection in terms of late submission of data and of consistency of the data. He urged members to submit consistent data and in a timely way.

The necessity and validity of collecting quarterly data was discussed and it was agreed that this issue would be put on the agenda of the next EDOEG Meeting, and that the CA would prepare a brief questionnaire on this issue and would send it to member economies to collect their views for discussion in the next EDOEG Meeting.

There was a discussion on the use of common units and it was agreed to use both Joules and Calories.

Mr. Kimura then presented the Overview of the APEC Energy Situation. He explained also the current status of the APEC Energy Network from the aspects of both the database and the Internet.

The meeting discussed in detail the issue of improving the APEC energy database based on the experience gained in using the data in the preparation of the APEC Energy Outlook. The meeting agreed to use the suggestions made in the paper prepared by the APERC "Suggested Improvement on the APEC Database" and presented at the Meeting by Ms. Lifang Cui, team leader of the APERC.

Mr. Keiichi Yokobori, president of the APERC, reported on a proposed Energy Data Workshop to be organized by the APERC and to which international energy related organizations such as the IEA, the UN and AEEMTRC would be invited. The meeting agreed that this was an important event, that APEC should participate actively through the CA of the EDOEG and that APERC should take the initiative in organizing the workshop.

2. Activities of the APERC

Then the meeting examined the activities of the APERC. Dr. Ji-Chul Ryu, vice president of the APERC and Mr. Jesus T. Tamang, team leader of the APERC, first presented a summary of the APEC Energy Outlook. The Expert Group expressed its appreciation of APERC's efforts and congratulated it on successfully completing the APEC Energy Outlook in a relatively short time. The Group suggested a more qualified characterization of the case A scenario (the Environmentally Friendly Case).

As to the possible impact of the current economic turmoil in Asia on the energy outlook, it was agreed that before the Okinawa Ministerial meeting the case B scenario (the Lower Economic Growth Case) will be reviewed in the light of information gathered from various sources, including further ABARE research using MEGABARE. It was also agreed that the APERC will send a draft of this note to the individual member economies for their comment before it is published in the Supplement to the Outlook. The group judged the Outlook to be a significant input to energy policy discussion in APEC, despite several points to be analysed further and improved.

APERC then sought Australia's and Malaysia's approval to present the energy balance tables of these economies separately since the population of both was sufficiently large to justify this. The Australian delegate agreed and the Chairman stated that he would write to Malaysia since there was no representative at this meeting. The group also discussed but not resolved the question of timing of the next outlook.

Mr. Yokobori reported on APERC's activities in 1997 and its work plan for 1998 and 1999. He reported that at the end of the year 1997, there were 16 researchers. Total budget for 1997 was 751 million yen and the draft budget for 1998 is 810 million yen.

Mr. Yokobori then proposed the following 6 research themes for 1998, some of which would be carried over to 1999.

  1. Energy Pricing Practices and Their Implications on Energy Efficiency, the Environment and Supply Infrastructure.
  2. Energy Efficiency Indicators for Industry
  3. Cost and Benefits of a Large Scale development of Natural Gas
  4. A feasibility Study of a Regional Power Interconnection Network in the APEC Region
  5. Deregulation and Privatization of the Electricity Sector in APEC Region
  6. The Value of Oil Stocks for the Security of Oil Supplies

He also indicated that issues identified in the process of development of the outlook such as data and methodological improvement will be addressed in 1998 and in 1999.

In relation to the proposed research item 2 "Energy Efficiency Indicators for Industry", it was reported that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Expert Group will ask for the cooperation of this Group in collecting data. The Chairman agreed to respond to the EE & C Expert Groups proposal at the 15th EWG meeting once the details of the proposal were known and in terms of the capacity of the Coordinating Agency of the EDOEG to meet the data request. Chairman then will contact the member economies on this issue after the 15th EWG meeting. EDOEG members agreed that APERC's activity will greatly contribute to the EE & C Group's activity.

After discussion, the meeting approved the proposed 6 themes for 1998 and the additional items for 1999 with the observation that the researches should be undertaken with close consultation with the EDOEG and other concerned APEC bodies and in the light of any further comments from EDOEG members.

3. Terms of Reference

The group discussed the necessity to reconsider the scope of the EDOEG reflecting the strategic directions of the APEC and APEC-EWG and the developments of the energy data activity and the establishment of the APERC.

It was agreed that it is necessary to keep the operation of the APEC Energy Data Base collecting and improving data as a core task.

It was also agreed that a more policy oriented role of the EDOEG should be added so as to be able to oversee more proactively the activities of APERC and to address emerging energy related policy issues in the APEC and to better meet the Energy Working Groups need.

Reflecting the development, change of the Group's name to such name as "Energy Supply and Demand Expert Group", "Energy Demand and Supply Expert Group" and "Energy Information and Analysis Expert Group" was proposed.

The Chairman agreed to prepare and circulate a paper by the end of October 1998 on the future role of this Group including the possible change of the Group's name reflecting the discussions above and based on the paper prepared by Mr. Neil McIlveen on this issue and possible discussion on this issue in the coming 15th APEC EWG meeting in Mexico. This paper will serve the base for further discussion on this issue in the next EDOEG meeting.

It was agreed that Coal Flow Seminar which has been carried under the umbrella of the EDOEG should be more properly located in the Clean Fossil Energy Expert Group and the seminar should be transferred to this Group if the this Group will agree to accept this transfer and the EWG will approve it.

4. Other Business

Under the session "Other Business", Brunei Darussalam made a tentative proposal to host the next EDOEG in February 1999. It was also proposed that the election of chairman would be on the agenda of the next EDOEG meeting.

Lastly on behalf of all participants the Chairman expressed his appreciation to the Government of Republic of Korea for excellently hosting the Meeting.