Sustainable Energy Access
Public policy advocacy program; public research and campaigns, promoting the provision of universal, equitable and sustainable universal access to energy in Indonesia; the term access refers to the provision of high-quality energy that is able to encourage productive activities beyond basic services.
The Sustainable Energy Access Program focuses on public policy advocacy works, including research and public campaign, to promote the universal provision of just, inclusive, and sustainable energy access in Indonesia; the term access refers to high quality energy provision capable of driving productive activities beyond basic services.
Modern energy access allows people to carry out activities with the purpose of generating or increasing their income. Beyond the basic needs for daily activities, that often tend to be consumptive in nature, the provision of energy is a driving force for productive activities; whether on a household scale, in the case of small and medium enterprises, and on a large scale. Access to energy is also important for education and health services. With better education and health, more windows of opportunity are opened, including opportunities to get a job or to an entrepreneurship.
Indonesia, with its rapid economic growth, currently still faces challenges to provide equitable and inclusive energy access to its 260 billion of citizens. Most of Indonesia’s energy needs are fulfilled with fossil fuels; in power sector, more than 50% of its generation is coal-based. With the impact of global warming and the shift in global energy landscape, Indonesia has been slow in transitioning to low-carbon energy system. Indonesia has high potential and diverse sources of renewable energy, and these renewables can be utilized to meet Indonesia’s energy needs. As the sources spread across Indonesia, energy decentralization approach can be one of feasible solution to geographical challenge in providing energy access. The challenge is one important issues to address for archipelagic countries such as Indonesia.
In addition to providing energy access for regions that currently lack access, renewables can be an energy source of choice to people with access to energy. Photovoltaic technology, the use of solar energy for electricity, is now growing rapidly and is widely used by homeowners in the form of rooftop solar. Transitioning to renewables, in a diverse scale and with different renewable energy sources, has become a global trend along with awareness of the impact of climate change caused by fossil fuels and the rising movement of sustainable lifestyles.
Meanwhile, Indonesia has high potential for clean and renewable energy. Based on data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia has enormous potential for renewable energy resources. The potential of this renewable energy resource can be utilized to create clean and equitable energy access. By looking at the renewable energy potential that is spread in Indonesia, the supply of domestic energy, especially in areas that do not yet have access to energy, can be fulfilled with local potentials; thereby responding to geographical challenges that often hamper the fulfillment and provision of energy access in Indonesia.
In addition to providing energy access for areas that do not yet have access, renewable energy can also be used by many people who previously had access to energy. Photovoltaic technology, which is the use of solar energy for electricity, is currently developing rapidly and can be used for housing. Switching to renewable energy, starting from a small scale and with different renewable energy sources, has become a global trend along with the awareness of the impact of climate change caused by fossil fuels and rising trends in affordable sustainable lifestyles.