Golkar Supports Plan to Close Diesel Power Plants, Requests Thorough Preparation for Conversion

The Chairman of the Golkar Party faction and member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives, Sarmuji, supports the plan to close Diesel Power Plants (PLTD) in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s 100-gigawatt electrification programme. However, he reminds that the conversion process to alternative energy sources must be prepared thoroughly. “That is a good programme. PLTD absorbs a lot of fuel oil, which costs more than other energy sources. Hopefully, it will be replaced with cheaper and cleaner ones. The important thing is that the conversion is prepared before the closure is carried out,” Sarmuji told reporters on Friday (10/4/2026). Sarmuji claims to be optimistic that the programme can run successfully. According to him, Indonesia has abundant energy sources. “I myself am confident that this programme will succeed because we have diverse energy sources, both fossil and renewable energy such as water, wind, and sun,” he said. “What is needed is a strong commitment to carry out the conversion consistently,” he added. This Golkar General Secretary assesses that the closure of PLTD will not take long, as long as the replacement infrastructure is available. The government, he said, can adjust the replacement scheme based on regional conditions. “It depends on how quickly the replacement is prepared (PLTD closure). It should not take long. Areas that can be reached by the electricity grid can be built with the grid, those without a grid can be built with other energy sources such as solar power plants and so on,” he stated. Previously, Prabowo Subianto spoke about the possibility that Indonesia would not import fuel oil in the coming years. This aligns with the government’s plan to close several diesel power plants (PLTD) to accelerate the transition to clean energy. The statement was delivered by Prabowo when inaugurating the first electric commercial vehicle assembly facility in Magelang, Central Java, on Thursday (9/4). Prabowo initially stated that electric sedans would be produced on a large scale in 2028. He targeted the construction of solar power plants (PLTS) with a capacity of 100 gigawatts within two years. “We are also forming a company to produce sedans, electric sedans. So, brothers and sisters, I have decided and we will implement the 100-gigawatt electrification programme. We hope the 100 gigawatts can be achieved in two years. Then, there should be no more power plants using diesel, using solar oil, no,” said Prabowo.