Power Outage in Jakarta: What Caused It?
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — A power outage occurred in several areas of Jakarta on Thursday (23/4/2026). PT PLN (Persero) gradually restored the electricity supply, returning it to normal by the afternoon.
In various official statements, PLN immediately deployed technical teams to address the disruption. The normalisation process was carried out gradually, both through control systems and on-site handling from the start of the incident.
Most affected customers had their electricity supply restored by 12:23 WIB. Recovery continued until all impacted areas were back to normal in the afternoon.
After the recovery process was completed, attention turned to the cause of the disruption. PLN stated that investigations are ongoing to confirm the exact source of the issue.
“The disruption occurred due to technical constraints in the electrical system, and we are currently tracing the root cause,” said PLN’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications and TJSL, Gregorius Adi Trianto.
Further confirmation efforts are still underway. To date, there has been no more detailed explanation from PLN or related ministries regarding the specific cause of the disruption.
For context, the Jakarta and surrounding electrical system is supported by around 76 substations. In this incident, the disruption affected 13 substations, impacting electricity distribution in several areas.
PLN stated that it has conducted reliability monitoring throughout the operational process. The company assures that the current system condition is normal, including the readiness of primary energy supply, which is said to be safe and sufficient.
“For customers needing information and PLN services, they can access the PLN Mobile app or the PLN Contact Center at 123,” Gregorius said.
In the first quarter of 2026, the Jakarta electrical system is supplied by 500 kV and 150 kV transmission networks with a reliable substation system. The average peak load in the DKI Jakarta area is around 5,700 megawatts under normal operational conditions.
In terms of power reserves, the Jakarta and surrounding electrical system, connected to the Java-Bali (Jamali) network, is said to be in a safe condition with adequate reserves. Under certain conditions, such as during Christmas and New Year periods, power reserves even exceed 50 percent.
However, this disruption incident raises questions about the potential vulnerability of the system amid claims of sufficient power reserves. The Java-Bali electricity network, which serves as the backbone of the national electricity supply, is considered to face pressure along with the continuously increasing energy demand growth.