Academia
President Prabowo Subianto (center) presses a button during the launch and groundbreaking ceremony for the solar power plant programs in Gilimanuk, Jembrana, Bali, on Aug. 25, 2026. (Antara/Fikri Yusuf)
President Prabowo Subianto recently launched the country’s massive solar power program at a ceremony in Bali, marking the construction of 14 solar power plants across the country. The projects form part of Indonesia’s push to develop 100 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar power capacity, aimed at providing reliable electricity to isolated villages, accelerating the transition to clean and renewable energy and strengthening energy independence.Solar power presents a huge opportunity for Indonesia. The country has so far utilized only 1.5 GW of its estimated 3,294 GWp solar power potential. At 8 to 20 US cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), a combined solar-BESS system is also significantly cheaper than the diesel power plants currently operating in many parts of the country, which generate electricity at 55 to 65 cents per kWh. In his speech before the House of Representatives on Aug. 14, Prabowo outlined a plan to replace 13 GW of diesel power plants spread across the country with solar energy, potentially saving Indonesia Rp 73.9 trillion (US$4.2 billion) annually.
