Prabowo’s 100 GW solar plan puts villages at the center of Indonesia’s energy transition

Indonesia is accelerating regulatory preparations for an ambitious 100-gigawatt (GW) solar power program, a cornerstone of President Prabowo Subianto’s energy strategy aimed at expanding electricity access while strengthening national energy security.

The initiative will be spearheaded by the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (Kopdes) network, placing local communities at the center of Indonesia’s renewable energy transition.

“We are currently finalizing the regulations needed to provide a legal framework for this large-scale deployment,” said Harris Yahya, Secretary of the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, as quoted by Katadata.co.id on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Speaking at Green Energy Transition Indonesia Day 2026 in Jakarta on March 10, Harris said the program represents a key pillar of Indonesia’s long-term push for energy independence.

Phased implementation strategy

The initial blueprint envisioned installing around 1.25 MW of solar capacity in each of Indonesia’s approximately 80,000 villages, generating roughly 80 GW in total, with an additional 20 GW allocated to urban and district centers.

However, the government has refined the rollout strategy, prioritizing an initial deployment of 13 GW in areas where electricity distribution infrastructure is already available. This phased approach is intended to ensure faster grid integration and operational efficiency.

Implementation will be overseen by the Energy Transition Acceleration Task Force, established earlier this year by President Prabowo and chaired by Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.

“This is not solely about meeting emission targets; it is about expanding energy access, reducing costly fuel imports, and shielding the domestic economy from global energy price volatility,” Harris said.

Although Indonesia’s electrification ratio has reached 99.83 percent, approximately 10,000 remote communities remain off-grid, representing the final 0.17 percent of “black spot” areas the program aims to address.

Strategic investment and manufacturing

To support the program’s massive expansion, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani, who also heads the Danantara Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara), announced a US$1.4 billion investment in a new domestic solar manufacturing facility.

The plant is expected to produce up to 50 GW of solar panels annually, far exceeding previous estimates of Indonesia’s photovoltaic manufacturing capacity.

“Construction is already underway, and we aim to complete the facility by the end of 2026,” Rosan said on Tuesday.

If realized, the facility could position Indonesia as a regional manufacturing hub for renewable energy components, supporting both domestic deployment and potential exports across Southeast Asia.

Hybrid financing model

The nationwide rollout will rely on a hybrid financing structure combining community participation, international capital, and state-backed investment vehicles, including:

• Village cooperatives, enabling community ownership and local economic participation;
• International private investors, providing advanced photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) technologies;
• Government-backed investment vehicles, including Danantara;
• A 1 MW pilot solar project in Sumenep, East Java, has already been completed, serving as a technical reference model for the broader program.

Toward energy sovereignty

Officials say the 100 GW solar initiative reflects Indonesia’s broader ambition to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels while expanding reliable electricity access across the archipelago.

If fully implemented, the program would rank among the largest decentralized solar deployments in the world, potentially reshaping Indonesia’s long-term energy landscape and strengthening its energy sovereignty.