Rolling Blackouts: MPR Deputy Speaker Urges PLN to Conduct Comprehensive Evaluation

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) from the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, Eddy Soeparno, is urging PLN to immediately address the rolling blackouts, particularly those occurring in Java, Sumatra, and Bali. PLN is being pressed to tackle this issue from both the coal supply aspect and the performance of its power plants. “I have not only received reports regarding rolling blackouts from region to region, but more than that, I also experienced it myself during a visit to my constituency in Bogor City on Friday afternoon (19 June),” Eddy stated on Saturday (20/6/2026). “I understand that the root of the problem partly stems from a shortage of ‘medium rank coal’ supply to PLN’s power plants, forcing an uneven allocation of electricity load,” he continued. According to Eddy, in a country rich in coal production, a coal supply crisis should not occur. “Therefore, we urge PLN to evaluate its coal supply chain, including conducting a comprehensive evaluation so that similar incidents do not recur,” stressed the PAN Deputy Chairman. Eddy also requested the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to accelerate coal production permits so that producers can immediately resume operations and domestic coal supply can be fulfilled. “I also encourage the ESDM Ministry to conduct strict supervision of ‘rogue’ coal producers who tend to evade their obligation to supply coal for domestic needs under the Domestic Market Obligation rule,” said the member of House Commission XII. Ultimately, Eddy called on all stakeholders to view this periodic blackout event as momentum to accelerate the energy transition by building renewable energy sources that can largely replace the national electricity grid’s dependence on coal. “As I have consistently conveyed in various public forums, the energy transition programme, which is also aligned with President Prabowo’s Asta Cita vision, needs to be accelerated so that Indonesia’s dependence on fossil fuels, particularly in the electricity sector, can be reduced to a maximum extent,” Eddy explained. “We have received a mandate from President Prabowo to build 100 GW of solar power plants and must accelerate the energy transition programme based on the 2025-2034 Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) to maximise renewable energy sources spread across Indonesia and strengthen national energy security,” he concluded.