24-Hour Power Cut, PLN Must Compensate Customers
A sudden total power cut or blackout lasting two days across northern Sumatra (Sumbagut), covering Jambi, West Sumatra, Riau, North Sumatra, and Aceh on the evening of Friday, 22 May 2026, caused alarm and losses among PT PLN (Persero) customers.
PLN’s President Director Darmawan Prasodjo apologised for the inconvenience, attributing the outage to severe weather on the 275-kilovolt overhead transmission line between Muara Bungo and Sungai Rumbai in Jambi. This contradicted BMKG’s forecast, which predicted only partly cloudy and light rain in Jambi and surrounding areas.
The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Medan questioned the weather explanation, suggesting poor electricity governance and infrastructure were to blame, adversely affecting the public.
“We suspect PLN was negligent. If management and infrastructure were properly handled, the blackout would not have occurred,” said LBH Medan Director Irvan Saputra on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
Irvan stated electricity is essential for daily life, supporting households, work, worship, healthcare, education, and more. Legally, PLN must compensate affected customers under Article 4 of Law No. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection, which guarantees consumers’ right to comfort, safety, and security when using goods or services.
This aligns with Article 29(1)(a) and (b) of Law No. 30 of 2009 on Electricity, ensuring customers receive good service and reliable, high-quality power. It also corresponds with Article 6 and 6A of Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Regulation No. 18 of 2019, mandating compensation for service quality issues causing prolonged disruptions and losses.
“PLN must compensate affected customers,” Irvan added.
He noted 8.3 million out of 13.1 million customers in Sumatra were affected. From a consumer protection perspective, the blackout severely impacted SMEs, damaged household electronics, and halted economic activity. The outage violated the Constitution, Human Rights Law, Consumer Protection Law, Electricity Law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
“PLN’s negligence in maintaining system reliability contradicts the fact that consumers are penalised for late payments or disconnections, while complaints about service quality often go unaddressed or delayed,” he said.
North Sumatra DPRD Deputy Chair Sutarto demanded PLN improve services and prevent future mass outages. The PDI Perjuangan politician called for mitigation strategies through thorough system investigations and evaluations.
“Electricity issues directly affect public welfare. SMEs are harmed, healthcare services disrupted, and security compromised. It must not happen again,” he said.
Sutarto also urged PLN to provide accurate, real-time outage information to prevent panic, and advised citizens to conserve energy: “Start with simple home measures like reducing gas, electricity, and fuel use.”
North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution said the blackout should serve as a critical lesson for PLN, given its widespread societal impact.
During a meeting with PLN North Sumatra Distribution Unit General Manager Mundakhir Salman on Tuesday afternoon, Bobby discussed the cause: a high-voltage cable failure in Jambi.
“I reviewed the incident and its cause. We requested all governments to use generators as a contingency, but the suddenness meant not all areas could be covered,” he said.
Bobby stressed that annual blackouts in Sumatra require serious evaluation, especially as the government pushes for electrification across sectors, from cooking appliances to vehicles and public transport.
“The government wants everything electric—stoves, cars, even buses. We need support. No more annual blackouts with long, widespread durations,” he said.
Bobby also highlighted the need for backup power systems, particularly for critical services like hospitals. Noting the Energy Minister’s earlier statement that Sumbagut has surplus power supply, he emphasised strengthening electricity supply to the Nias Islands via new power plants to meet community needs.
In response, PLN North Sumatra Distribution Unit apologised and assured improved power readiness, including for the AFF U-19 Championship in North Sumatra, especially at stadiums and supporting facilities.
“Only Tapanuli Tengah Regency needs repairs in disaster-prone areas. For the AFF event, we will prepare better,” said Mundakhir.