Green Transmission Seen as Backbone of Indonesia's Clean Energy Future

Jakarta – Renewable energy power plants often take centre stage in the energy transition. Solar, geothermal, wind, hydro, biomass, and new energy technologies frequently become symbols of the shift towards a cleaner energy system. However, behind all this, there is an infrastructure that works more quietly but is decisive: transmission. Without a strong transmission network, clean energy will remain just potential on a map. It may be located in resource-rich regions, but it cannot flow to industrial zones, urban areas, data centres, households, and other load centres that require a stable electricity supply.

This was the focus of a forum titled ‘Engineering Development Roadmap for Green Transmission in Supporting Accelerated Renewable Energy Development’. The event brought together the government, PLN, academics, technology providers, and industry players to revisit a fundamental question: is Indonesia’s transmission system ready to support the acceleration of renewable energy?

Prof Dermawan Wibisono, Head of the Green Transmission Roadmap Study Team, stated that this question cannot be answered with enthusiasm alone. Ambitious targets must be translated into technical scenarios, implementation stages, financing readiness, and human resource strengthening. ‘We signed the Paris Agreement in 2015. Indonesia itself is targeting net zero emissions by 2060. But to get there, we must identify which technologies are suitable and need to be implemented immediately in Indonesia,’ Dermawan said, as quoted on Thursday, 2 July 2026.

According to him, Indonesia cannot simply set a broad direction for the energy transition and let the process run without a detailed map. A roadmap is needed so that targets do not stop at being statements but are transformed into concrete work steps. ‘We often state our goals. But how do we get there? That is what needs to be formulated,’ he said. He revealed that Indonesia’s main problem is not only the availability of renewable energy but also the location of energy sources and their demand centres. The potential for clean energy is spread across many regions, while electricity consumption centres are still concentrated in certain areas.