President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka inherited a national energy landscape in transition when they were inaugurated on October 20, 2024. Indonesia remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, particularly coal, for electricity generation, even as the country faces growing pressure to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy and reduce emissions. The Prabowo administration has announced ambitious goals, such as achieving 100% renewable energy within the next 10 years and phasing out coal use within 15 years, accompanied by an additional 75 GW of renewable energy capacity. These ambitions align with the “Golden Indonesia 2045” vision, which positions energy self-sufficiency and a strengthened green economy as key pillars.
However, despite these ambitious public statements, there are significant inconsistencies in the energy planning documents issued over the past year. For instance, the revision of the National Energy Policy (KEN) through Government Regulation (PP) No. 40/2025 pushes back the renewable energy mix target from 23% in 2025 to just 19–23% by 2030, while still projecting fossil fuel use until 2060. The Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) 2025–2034 also indicates that the addition of 30.4 GW of renewable energy capacity will only occur significantly during the second half of the decade (2029–2034), after the 2029 presidential election.
The differing renewable energy mix targets across KEN (19–23% by 2030), the National Electricity General Plan (RUKN, 29.4% by 2034), and RUPTL (34.3% by 2034) have also created confusion among industry players and investors. Moreover, the Prabowo administration continues to extend the lifespan of fossil fuels through “false solutions,” such as plans to repurpose coal-fired power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology or co-firing with biomass—a practice that has not been proven to significantly reduce emissions and may trigger deforestation. These inconsistencies raise a crucial question: Will Indonesia truly accelerate its energy transition, or will fossil fuel dependence persist under President Prabowo’s administration?
Download this policy brief to gain a deeper understanding of President Prabowo’s energy ambitions and how policy inconsistencies could hinder Indonesia’s decarbonization goals.
