Prabowo appoints Bahlil to lead task force to speed up energy transition

By Romel S. Gurky

President Prabowo Subianto has appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to lead a task force aimed at accelerating Indonesia’s transition to clean and renewable energy.

The decision was announced following a limited cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, where the government discussed plans to expand renewable energy deployment, including solar power plants (PLTS) to be installed in schools and villages.

“We have just concluded a limited meeting with the President, which mainly discussed the implementation of clean and renewable energy, including the plan to develop 100 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable sources,” Bahlil told reporters after the meeting.

Bahlil said the task force will focus on accelerating the rollout of renewable energy projects while helping reduce the government’s electricity subsidy burden.

He noted that converting diesel-fired power plants (PLTD) to solar-based systems could improve efficiency in electricity subsidies while also supporting the broader adoption of electric vehicles, including motorcycles and cars.

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The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is also promoting solar power to expand electricity access in remote islands as part of efforts to improve national energy availability and bring power to hard-to-reach areas.

In addition to renewable energy expansion, Prabowo has asked the ministry to accelerate the conversion of fossil fuel-powered motorcycles into electric motorcycles.

The government aims to gradually convert around 120 million motorcycles over the next three to four years, Bahlil said.

“The President wants the implementation to begin immediately, with a maximum timeline of three to four years, or sooner if possible,” he added.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak