The Project “Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia” (CASE) in Indonesia has launched the documentary film Pelita Asa, shedding light on the human dimensions of energy transition in one of the country’s most coal-dependent regions.
Pelita Asa invites audiences to follow the journey of communities in East Kalimantan, particularly in Dusun Donomulyo, Kelurahan Manggar, and Muara Enggelam, as they navigate the energy transition from coal to renewable energy. These areas were chosen because they represent three key challenges in the energy transition: environmental damage caused by coal mining activities, limited access to electricity and cooking gas, and the loss of employment opportunities for local communities.
Muara Enggelam Village is one of the villages facing electricity limitations, as it has no land access routes for the construction of conventional electricity poles. Although Diesel Power Plants (PLTD) have been used, villagers can only enjoy electricity from late afternoon through the evening. The community ultimately came together to find a solution to their limited energy access, adopting a communal Solar Power Plant (PLTS) operated by the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes).
East Kalimantan has long held a significant position in the national coal industry. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2024, East Kalimantan is among the three provinces contributing more than 33 percent of Indonesia’s total coal exports, valued at approximately IDR 414 trillion. The substantial role of coal in the regional economy means that many local residents depend on this commodity, either as direct workers or through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that support the economic supply chain surrounding the coal industry.
However, Indonesia’s growing commitment to accelerating the energy transition presents new challenges for coal-producing regions like East Kalimantan. Reducing dependence on coal is an important step toward cutting emissions and promoting a cleaner energy system. Yet this shift also needs to be managed equitably so as not to impose new burdens on local communities, particularly those who have long relied on economic activities tied to the coal industry.
Drawing from the stories of local communities about their challenges, hopes, and aspirations for a better life, CASE brought these stories to life in the documentary film Pelita Asa. The film not only highlights the social and economic impacts of the energy transition but also demonstrates how renewable energy can serve as an opportunity to expand energy access, support community economic activities, and open new horizons of hope for regions that have long been underserved in terms of energy.
Through Pelita Asa, audiences, especially those living in major cities, are invited to recognise that the energy they use every day is often supplied by regions that still face significant energy access limitations. At a time when conventional energy access has yet to fully reach remote, frontier, and outermost areas (known in Indonesian as daerah 3T), renewable energy emerges as an opportunity to broaden energy access while simultaneously improving community welfare.
Yusuf Suryanto, Director for Transmission, Electricity and Space (TES) at the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Agency (Bappenas), conveyed that implementing a just energy transition in Indonesia requires an integrated national development planning framework that is thematic, holistic, integrative, and spatial (THIS). He emphasised the need for the involvement of all stakeholders, not only the central government, but also regional governments, academics, the media, and the public, alongside encouragement for private investment and support from development partners.
The energy transition is not solely focused on shifting from fossil fuels to clean energy but also on meeting electricity needs in a fair, reliable, quality-driven, and sustainable manner. To achieve this, it is necessary to build power generation facilities, electricity grid infrastructure, rural electrification systems, and equitable electricity access. Infrastructure development based on spatial planning, particularly to support the accelerated development of small island regions and 3T areas, by harnessing local energy potential, must be pursued to stimulate local economic growth, thereby creating development that is fair, inclusive, and just.
