Indonesia strengthens power grid and eyes nuclear rollout to guard against extreme weather

Indonesia's electricity system is confronting growing threats from extreme weather events and a strong El Niño expected to peak later this year. Institute for Essential Services Reform director Deon Arinaldo warned that recent outages in Sumatra and Kalimantan signal a need for faster grid modernization, smart‑grid technologies, battery storage and wider integration of distributed renewable sources. He urged the government to embed climate‑risk scenarios into long‑term planning and called for transparent audits of grid failures.

At the same time, student leader Hudan Lil Muttaqien and other policy advocates promoted nuclear power as a necessary component of Indonesia’s energy security strategy. Pilot nuclear projects are under way in Bangka Belitung and West Kalimantan, with a target of 12 % nuclear share in the national energy mix by 2060. Critics note fiscal constraints and governance challenges that must be addressed for the nuclear transition to succeed.