Indonesia's PLN launches free electricity, new grid line and renewable upgrades

PT PLN (Persero) provided a free electricity connection to a resident in Purbalingga under its Light Up The Dream programme, citing social benefit and improved livelihoods. The utility also energized a new 6‑km medium‑voltage overhead line (WLI 16) to strengthen power supply for the Kendal Industrial Zone.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources aims to complete the 2026‑2035 National Energy Plan (RUEN) by September 2026 after public hearings in six regions. PLN’s CEO Darmawan Prasodjo warned that solar‑PV projects with battery storage raise tariffs because of land‑acquisition costs.

A take‑or‑pay clause in the 2025‑2034 Power Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) is under legal challenge by PLN workers, who say it strains the state’s finances. Meanwhile, PLN Energy Primer Indonesia (EPI) is pushing bioenergy—biomass, bio‑char, compressed biomethane gas and refuse‑derived fuel—to add 0.61 GW by 2029.

PLN reported that 40 % of RUPTL 2025‑2034 projects are under execution, with 143 already at commercial operation, adding 4.541 GW of capacity, 3,694 km of transmission lines and 3,800 MVA of substations. The utility also plans to retrofit coal‑fired plants to run lower‑calorie coal, citing successful modifications at Suralaya units to prevent future load‑shedding.