Minister: 100 GWp Solar Power Program to Target Villages Without Electricity

RRI.CO.ID, Gilimanuk - The Indonesian government is targeting the development of solar power plants (PLTS) with a total capacity of 100 gigawatts peak (GWp) within three years as part of efforts to strengthen national energy resilience and independence. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Bahlil Lahadalia, said the program will prioritize villages that still lack access to electricity.

He said the government is also targeting every village to have access to electricity with a capacity of up to one megawatt (MW). According to him, state-owned energy company Pertamina has already begun implementing the program in one village in Sumatra.

“For solar power plants with a capacity of one megawatt per village, Pertamina has already implemented the program. For villages that do not yet have access to electricity, we will expand it through the 100 GW initiative and the village electrification program,” Bahlil said during the launch of the 100 GWp Solar Power Program in Gilimanuk, Jembrana, Bali, on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

According to the Minister, the development of solar power will not only expand access to electricity, but also provide economic and environmental benefits. The use of solar energy is projected to save the state budget up to 73.9 trillion rupiah annually by reducing electricity subsidies.

He said the total investment required to develop the 100 GWp solar power program is estimated at around 73 billion US dollars, or more than 1,140 trillion rupiah. As an initial stage, the government launched 14 solar power projects in six provinces with a combined capacity of around 5.3 GWp.

The projects include the 300-MWp Gilimanuk Solar Power Plant, the 134-MWp Gajah Mungkur Floating Solar Power Plant, the 0.92-MWp Sembur Village Solar Power Plant, and the 0.078-MWp Pulau Rengit Solar Power Plant.

The Sembur Village Solar Power Plant, for example, is being used to support the economic activities of local fishermen by providing electricity for a five-ton cold storage facility and a four-ton ice-making machine.

Meanwhile, the Pulau Rengit Solar Power Plant has increased the availability of electricity for local residents from around 12 hours to 24 hours a day. The project has also reduced the cost of electricity supply by around 4,400 rupiah per kilowatt-hour (kWh), or 26 percent.

President Prabowo Subianto, who launched the 100 GWp Solar Power Program in Gilimanuk, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving the solar energy development target.

“We will build 100 gigawatts, and we are serious about it. Our target is 100 gigawatts in three years,” he said.

The President called on ministries, government agencies, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and all relevant stakeholders to strengthen collaboration to achieve the target. According to Prabowo, efficiency and sound management of state finances are important factors in implementing the large-scale energy program.

The 100 GWp Solar Power Program is aimed not only at increasing power generation capacity but also at expanding energy access, strengthening domestic industries, and creating economic benefits for communities. In Gilimanuk, the solar power plant and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) are part of a program to convert fuel-based power plants to solar energy. The project is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.