Taiwan is using its position at the center of the world's chip and AI supply chain to win a bigger seat at the regional energy table, a modest but real diplomatic and industrial win.

• Taiwan and the US pushed through a new "AI and Energy" task force under APEC's energy working group, one of the main outcomes of the energy ministers' meeting held in Beijing this month.
• The pitch is that AI and chip factories need huge amounts of reliable power, and Taiwan says it plans electricity supply years ahead to stay in front of that demand.
• Taiwan's grid work — frequency control, battery storage, and using AI to manage power — drew praise from other members as a model worth copying.
• Offshore wind is the showcase: more than 500 turbines are now installed, fifth-largest capacity in the world, and output topped 10 billion units of electricity for the first time in 2025.
• The meeting also gave Taiwan rare face time with regional partners on energy security, on Chinese soil, where its participation is always politically delicate.

Outlook: Expect the US to lead the new task force and Taiwan to trade its grid and storage know-how for deeper ties with Asia-Pacific partners.