Jakarta – Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia organized an open discussion titled Community Forum: Just and Inclusive Community-Based Energy Transition in Central Jakarta on May 22, 2026. The event was part of the Open Government Week 2026 series, aimed at strengthening the mainstreaming of Gender, Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles and public participation in national energy policy. It also supported the commitments of the National Action Plan (RAN) of Open Government Indonesia (OGI) VIII to accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition.
The forum served as a platform to strengthen synergy among various stakeholders in promoting a just energy transition and open governance. During the discussions, best practices and community experiences from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) were shared as valuable lessons for developing national-level energy transition policies.
PWYP Indonesia National Coordinator Aryanto Nugroho said the forum resulted from collective efforts by PWYP Indonesia, its community partners in NTB and NTT, and several civil society organizations that have long assisted communities in developing community-based energy transition practices. “Energy transition must not be understood merely as a technological shift. It is a socio-ecological agenda that questions who bears the burden and who reaps the benefits. Local communities, especially women and vulnerable groups, are the main actors capable of leading the energy transition at the local level. However, they are often not formally recognized in national or regional policies. The experiences already underway, the resilience of rural women, and the collaborative practices emerging in communities need to be elevated to broader policy levels,” Aryanto said when opening the event.
Communities and civil society organizations from NTB and NTT shared experiences on innovative renewable energy-based productive enterprises, the development of energy planning and management models that prioritize GEDSI principles, and the importance of women’s leadership in advancing community-based energy transition.
Present as respondents were Chairperson of the National Commission on Disability Dante Rigmalia, Member of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives Nanang Samodra, Member of the National Energy Council (DEN) Sripeni Inten Cahyani, and Expert Staff of the NasDem Party Faction at Commission XII, Juli Panglima Saragih.
Representing Gema Alam NTB, Ziko shared her organization’s experience in strengthening women’s leadership in villages as part of efforts to promote an inclusive energy transition. She noted that building women’s leadership is not an instant process but requires sustained mentoring and capacity building. “First, we utilized village potentials that could be developed, conducted a Rapid Care Analysis to examine women’s relationship with energy access, and collected disability data, which the village government then used as a basis for advocating the fulfillment of basic rights for persons with disabilities. Second, we conducted capacity building through equivalent schools, village discussions, and tiered training,” Ziko said.
She explained that the training covered topics ranging from self-image and women’s leadership to climate change and understanding energy transition. Once they gained sufficient capacity, the women in the assisted groups began advocacy efforts from the village level up to the provincial level. “Currently, the women members of SEKRA have been conducting advocacy up to the provincial level. They have established communication with the Environmental Agency to secure support for biogas development and water pumps. We also continue campaigning through social media and various collaborations with PWYP Indonesia and other organizations,” she added.
Another experience was shared by the Yayasan Pengkajian dan Pengembangan Sosial (YPPS), which assists communities in six villages in East Flores, NTT. Representing YPPS, Simon Petrus explained that a community-based empowerment program led by women successfully developed renewable energy innovations while strengthening the local economy. The program emerged from the community’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, high energy costs, and limited economic access for women and vulnerable groups. By leveraging coconuts as the region’s main commodity, the community developed innovations such as coconut shell briquettes, solar energy houses (solar dryers), and solar-powered food dryers. “Through coconut shell briquette technology, solar energy houses, and solar-powered food dryers, coconut waste that was previously underutilized is now processed into value-added products such as premium copra, coconut shell charcoal, and biomass briquettes,” Simon said.
The approach focused not only on technology use but also on strengthening community capacity through entrepreneurship training, financial management, and the formation of Community Savings and Loans Groups (SILC). This model successfully expanded access to business financing, built a savings culture, and strengthened the community’s economic resilience. To date, community funds raised through SILC groups have exceeded IDR 807 million.
The use of renewable energy for productive enterprises has also created new job opportunities, including briquette production and marketing, coconut waste processing, operating solar-powered houses, and developing coconut-based food products. Program impacts include increased household income, higher copra selling prices, a reduction in cooking energy costs by approximately 50 percent, and greater participation of women and vulnerable groups in productive economic activities. Nevertheless, Simon noted that further efforts are needed to expand these good practices to other areas and strengthen community access to investment and renewable energy technology so that benefits can be felt more widely.
In the context of promoting gender equality and social inclusion, CIS Timor shared its experience with GEDSI campaigns involving indigenous communities, traditional leaders, and women in Southwest Sumba. Representing CIS Timor, Agustina explained that the approach proved effective in driving social change within a strong patriarchal culture. “Previously, gender equality and inclusion issues were quite difficult to discuss because patriarchal culture remained strong. However, through campaigns involving traditional figures, women began participating more actively in village decision-making. Some women have even been elected as Chairpersons of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) and involved in Musrenbang,” she said.
According to Agustina, these changes also encouraged policy support at the village level. In 2025, village governments allocated IDR 50 million for constructing energy-efficient stoves in five villages. This support continued in 2026 with the construction of 30 units of energy-efficient stoves in two additional villages.
Meanwhile, Fahrunnisa from GEDSI JET NTB emphasized the importance of explicitly incorporating GEDSI principles into national and regional energy regulations. She said clear references would strengthen recognition of women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups in the energy transition process. She also urged the government to develop official guidelines on implementing GEDSI in the energy sector and to make GEDSI analysis a requirement in the preparation and implementation of energy programs.
The various experiences, best practices, and recommendations shared by communities and civil society organizations in this forum are expected to serve as valuable input for the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) in formulating policies that support the acceleration of a just, inclusive, and community-based energy transition. Through the active involvement of communities, women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups, the energy transition is expected not only to contribute to achieving national clean energy targets but also to promote more equitable and sustainable development.
Writer: Ariyansah NK
Reviewer: Mouna Wasef