Prabowo Summons Bahlil to Palace to Discuss Diesel Power Plant Shutdown

President Prabowo Subianto summoned Energy and Mineral Resources Minister (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March 2026. Bahlil stated that the restricted meeting discussed the work of the energy transition acceleration task force and plans to convert conventional vehicles to electric power.

“I reported to the President earlier, and was called to report on the progress of the EBTKE task force discussions, new renewable energy and the conversion of vehicles from petrol to electricity,” said Bahlil following the restricted meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon.

Bahlil said the task force had held its inaugural meeting attended by eight ministers and representatives from PT PLN (Persero). Bahlil stated that one plan that could be executed in the near future is the transition of diesel power plant (PLTD) operations to new renewable energy such as solar power plants (PLTS) and geothermal power plants (PLTP).

“Perhaps by the holiday season, this could be in action, and the first thing we will accomplish is the diesel plants, PLTDs powered by diesel oil, we will complete all of them with PLTS and also geothermal,” said Bahlil.

The Chairman General of the Golkar Party further emphasised that this energy transition is important. Particularly given the global geopolitical conditions fraught with uncertainty due to conflict in the Western Asia region, which also affects the supply of domestic energy.

“Because of this we are optimising all the potential we have within the country, energies that we can convert from fossil fuels as we are doing this,” he said.

However, Bahlil did not provide more detailed explanation about the location of PLTDs that would be shut down. He only stated that the PLTDs that would cease operations are spread across various regions of Indonesia.

According to Bahlil, the cessation of PLTDs will not be done immediately. The shutdown will be carried out whilst waiting for the construction of PLTS to be completed. “Build it first, if we shut it down before it is built, there is no replacement. So it runs in parallel, once it is built, once it goes straight to COD (Commercial Operation Date), the PLTD is switched off,” said Bahlil.

Bahlil also said the government also plans to revise the Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) to align with the direction of national energy transition.