Mataram, NTB – Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia held a workshop on the National Energy Policy (KEN) and the National General Energy Plan (RUEN) in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The event, titled Direction of National Energy Policy and Strengthening of NTB’s RUED, took place in Mataram on February 24–25, 2026.
The workshop featured speakers from the National Energy Council (DEN), the NTB Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (ESDM), and academics. The activity aimed to identify opportunities and challenges in aligning regional energy policies with KEN, while still considering the principles of a just energy transition and the Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) approach.
PWYP Indonesia’s National Coordinator, Aryanto Nugroho, stated that NTB is one of the provinces that is quite progressive in promoting the implementation of GEDSI principles in the energy transition agenda. According to him, NTB already has a working group specifically dedicated to mainstreaming GEDSI in energy policies.
“NTB is a province that already has a working group to mainstream GEDSI. This deserves appreciation because not all provinces have such initiatives. In the future, we hope DEN can collaborate with the working group in NTB so that it can serve as an example at the national level,” he said.
PWYP Indonesia’s Head of Research and Advocacy Division, Mouna Wasef, explained that this activity also aims to enhance stakeholders’ understanding of Government Regulation Number 40 of 2025 on the National Energy Policy (KEN) and its relevance to NTB’s Regional General Energy Plan (RUED). In addition, this forum serves as a space for discussion to identify opportunities and challenges in aligning regional energy policies with the latest KEN, while also considering aspects of a just energy transition and GEDSI integration.
National Energy Council member Saleh Abdurrahman explained that there are several changes and additions to the substance of the KEN, ratified through Government Regulation Number 40 of 2025, compared to the previous policy, namely Government Regulation Number 79 of 2014 on the National Energy Policy. These changes include strengthening downstreaming and industrialization, energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and more targeted energy subsidy policies.
“The energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a global trend of change. KEN also provides space for innovation in strengthening national energy resilience. One factor driving the implementation of KEN is the growth of the industrial sector,” he explained.
Another DEN representative, Azhari Sauqi, added that the KEN update was carried out to adapt to the dynamics and challenges of energy at both national and global levels. One of the main challenges is the still low utilization of renewable energy in Indonesia, while dependence on fossil fuels remains quite high.
Through the new KEN, the government aims to accelerate the utilization of new and renewable energy technologies (EBT), while supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the Net Zero Emission (NZE) target in 2060. The energy sector’s decarbonization target will be pursued through various steps, including strengthening and accelerating the energy transition toward energy self-sufficiency.
Changes in the substance of KEN will also impact derivative policies such as RUEN and RUED. Therefore, provincial governments need to update RUED by involving district/city governments and community elements. The RUED update is expected to include energy transition programs, such as optimizing renewable energy potential through solar power plants (PLTS), rooftop PLTS, and biogas development.
Arifin, Head of the Energy and Electricity Division at NTB’s ESDM Agency, affirmed NTB’s commitment to promoting a just energy transition. This transition aims to shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, ensuring that the risks and benefits of the process are fairly distributed among all parties.
However, he acknowledged that there are still several challenges, particularly from a social perspective. One of them is how to integrate the GEDSI perspective to ensure the energy transition process does not leave vulnerable or marginalized groups behind. Integrating the GEDSI perspective is considered an important part of strengthening NTB’s RUED.
An academic from Sumbawa University of Technology, Fahrunnisa, highlighted several challenges in integrating the GEDSI approach into energy policies, including those related to RUED preparation. According to her, current energy development planning remains technically oriented and focused on infrastructure needs and investments. In contrast, social analysis remains minimal, so GEDSI aspects have not yet become a primary variable in energy planning.
In addition, data availability and community participation are also challenges. Data on disaggregated energy access remain limited, while vulnerable groups are often excluded from the energy project design process. Another challenge is the institutional culture that still views GEDSI issues merely as social issues rather than as an integral part of energy policy.
She assessed that policy changes in KEN will encourage updates in RUED. This momentum needs to be leveraged to strengthen GEDSI integration in regional energy policies, including by ensuring the availability of instruments to measure the extent of GEDSI integration in energy policy planning and implementation.
Author: Ariyansyah N Kiliu
Reviewer: Mouna Wasef