Jakarta – By the end of 2025, the contribution of new and renewable energy (NRE) in the national energy mix will not be able to meet the target set in the National Energy General Plan (RUEN). Instead of reaching 23 per cent, the share of NRE is currently only at 15.75 per cent.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) data shows that although the addition of renewable energy generation capacity throughout 2025 will be the largest in the last five years, this achievement is still not enough to keep up with the growth rate of fossil fuels. Throughout last year, the additional renewable energy capacity reached 15,630 megawatts (MW).
The increase in capacity came mainly from hydroelectric power plants, which contributed around 7,587 MW. Significant contributions also came from bioenergy, which contributed 3,148 MW, and geothermal energy, which contributed 2,744 MW. Beyond that, solar energy increased by 1,494 MW, followed by coal gasification at 450 MW, wind power at 152 MW, waste-based power plants at 36 MW, and other renewable energy sources at around 18 MW.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia explained on Thursday, 8 January, that the failure to meet the RUEN target was not due to a lack of renewable energy development, but rather to the still significant increase in fossil fuel-fired power plant capacity. According to him, in absolute terms, renewable energy development in 2025 is actually quite substantial.
“In terms of addition, NRE has increased significantly. However, in percentage terms, the figure has actually decreased because at the same time there has been an addition of gas and coal power plants,” said Bahlil at a press conference on the performance of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
The situation is different in the electricity sector. Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eniya Listiyani Dewi, said that the NRE mix in the national electricity system had actually exceeded the target.
“For the electricity sector, the share of renewable energy has reached around 16.3 per cent. This figure has exceeded the target set in the RUKN, which is 15.9 per cent,” said Eniya, referring to the national electricity plan.
Amidst the failure to achieve national energy mix targets, investment in the renewable energy and energy conservation sub-sector continued to show relatively positive performance. Throughout 2025, investment realisation in this sub-sector reached USD 2.4 billion.
Overall, the ESDM sector remains the main contributor to non-tax state revenue (PNBP). By the end of the year, PNBP in this sector was recorded at Rp138.37 trillion, exceeding the target by 108.56 per cent.
However, the fact that the renewable energy mix is still far from the RUEN target highlights the significant challenges facing Indonesia’s energy transition going forward. Dependence on coal and gas remains a dominant factor holding back the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2026)
