KDM: Apologies, 80,000 residents still without electricity despite West Java being an energy hub
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has stated that the number of West Java residents without access to electricity stands at 80,000 in 2026, and the provincial government is committed to resolving the issue entirely by 2027.
“We apologise. After 81 years of Indonesian independence, we have not yet been able to ‘liberate’ all the people of West Java. There are still 80,000 West Java residents who to this day do not have access to electricity, so at night they are in darkness,” said Dedi Mulyadi during the 81st Independence Day commemoration at Gedung Sate, Bandung, on Monday.
Dedi described the situation as a great irony, given that West Java is known as a centre for national energy supply, with the Jatiluhur, Jatigede, Cirata and Saguling hydroelectric plants as well as geothermal potential, yet its own residents have not all enjoyed access to electricity.
He revealed that when he first took office in 2025, the number of West Java residents without access to electricity was recorded at more than 500,000. Under his leadership, he said, the figure has been drastically reduced to 80,000 by 2026.
The resolution of the electricity crisis, Dedi continued, has been carried out through a reorientation of the West Java provincial government’s financial system, together with the West Java Regional House of Representatives and vertical agencies, to focus more on meeting the basic needs of the public.
He is targeting the electricity network crisis, as well as road infrastructure to the province’s outlying areas, to be resolved gradually through a budget reallocation scheme within two fiscal years.
“The government must not neglect basic services. Infrastructure leading to major roads in winding areas such as Sukabumi, Cianjur and Garut must be resolved gradually,” said Dedi.
In addition to witnessing the 81st Independence Day celebrations, members of the public and all participants were also treated to various food and beverages from micro, small and medium enterprises, with portions for 10,000 people, specially provided by the West Java provincial government for the celebration.