RUEN 2026–2035 has yet to position the principles of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) as an important part of its preparation process.
The government has yet to achieve its target for renewable energy utilization. Initially, the government targeted 45.2 GW of renewable energy capacity, but only 14.08 GW had been achieved by 2025, or less than 50% of the initial target.
Moreover, the government continues to import fuel, with imports accounting for 34.15% of total national fuel demand. This is despite the government’s initial target of ending fuel imports by 2025.
In another sector, the government has also been criticized for failing to enforce limits on coal production. From 2019 onward, the government set an annual coal production target of 400 million tonnes. In reality, in 2020, coal production reached 563.7 million tonnes, and the figure continued to increase in subsequent years.
These figures were presented by Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia Program Officer Ariyansah N. Kiliu. The government’s failure to meet its targets demonstrates the extent to which Indonesia remains dependent on fossil fuels. Therefore, Ariyansah argued that the position and role of the National Energy Council (DEN) have not been sufficiently robust in overseeing the implementation of the National Energy General Plan (RUEN).
“This must serve as a note and an evaluation for the future,” he said during a media discussion titled “RUEN 2026–2035 Revision: Forest Fires, Pollution, Power Outages, What Is RUEN’s Answer?”, organized by the Civil Society Coalition for Clean Energy in Menteng, Jakarta, on Wednesday (August 26).
In the context of coal, Ariyansah argued that coal production limits must remain regulated. He also called for the ongoing preparation of RUEN 2026–2035 to retain provisions concerning a moratorium on Mining Business Licenses (IUP) and Special Mining Business Licenses (IUPK). The licensing moratorium must be accompanied by environmental restoration efforts so that mining activities do not result in the displacement of communities from their living spaces, deforestation, or environmental degradation.
Beyond the government’s failure to meet its targets, the preparation process for RUEN 2026–2035 has also been considered problematic. RUEN 2026–2035 has yet to position the principles of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) as an important part of its preparation process.
Rina Prasarani, Chairperson of Advocacy and Awareness Raising at the Indonesian Women with Disabilities Association (HWDI), said that persons with disabilities are generally positioned only as policy objects and beneficiaries. In reality, they are energy users with needs, experiences, and perspectives that need to be accommodated.
GEDSI is not the only consideration. The fulfillment of the right to energy must also uphold the principles of Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Quality (AAAQ). By incorporating these principles, the perspectives and needs of persons with disabilities can be accommodated—for example, when the government introduces energy efficiency measures.
For instance, a policy requiring buildings to turn off their electricity on certain days could make mobility more difficult for wheelchair users because of limited access to elevators. “So, efficiency policies must not make us less productive or threaten our independence,” she said.
Rina emphasized that the energy transition should not merely be an effort to replace existing energy sources with new and renewable energy. The energy transition must also encompass a transition toward a fair and inclusive system. “There must not be any energy policy concerning us without our involvement,” she stressed.
DEN member Mohamad Fadhil Hasan agreed that every stakeholder needs to be involved through meaningful participation. He encouraged all parties to actively provide their input rather than waiting to be invited by policymakers.
Furthermore, based on Government Regulation No. 40 of 2025 concerning the National Energy Policy, RUEN 2026–2035 must be established by October 2026. Therefore, public aspirations need to be conveyed as soon as possible.
In addition to encouraging active public participation, Fadhil also discussed renewable energy tariffs for the public. In his view, as long as the government continues to subsidize conventional energy, the energy transition cannot be accelerated.
He argued that renewable energy cannot be competitive if it is required to compete directly with fossil fuels. “We now have to accept the reality that new and renewable energy is more expensive than conventional energy,” he said.
Therefore, he encouraged the government to design policies for conventional energy in a way that allows renewable energy to compete more fairly. One example would be imposing taxes on conventional energy use and using the resulting revenue to subsidize renewable energy.
At the end of his presentation, Fadhil reiterated the importance of public involvement in the preparation of RUEN 2026–2035. “I think we must push for the preparation of RUEN to be timely, responsive to public aspirations, and participatory,” he concluded.
Source: Hukum Online