The 2026 Global Low-Carbon Industry Forum in Shenzhen brought together industry leaders, grid operators, and researchers to explore how grid-forming technology and AI can accelerate the shift to renewables. The theme, "Making the Most of Every Ray, Powering the Unpowered," focused on delivering stable, affordable clean energy to regions lacking reliable electricity. A key highlight was the Terra Solar project in the Philippines, the world's largest PV plus storage installation with 3.5 GW solar and 4.5 GWh battery storage. It now supplies stable power to about 2.4 million homes and cuts emissions by over 4.3 million tons annually. This demonstrates that large-scale PV and storage can act as a dependable grid source. The forum also launched the Global Joint Initiative on Grid Forming & AI, aiming to standardize these technologies and expand access to clean power, especially for the nearly 700 million people still without electricity. Speakers stressed that grid-forming capability is becoming a rigid need as renewables rise, and AI is essential for managing complex power systems.
