BALINEWSID.COM, JAKARTA – One year after Bali suffered a nearly 11-hour island-wide blackout in May 2025, concerns are mounting over the stability of Indonesia’s electricity system as dwindling coal supplies threaten power generation across the Java-Madura-Bali (Jamali) grid.

The situation has raised fears of another large-scale power outage similar to the blackout that struck Bali on May 2, 2025, when the entire island lost electricity for approximately 11 hours before power was fully restored in the early hours of May 3.

The Bali incident was not the first major blackout in Indonesia. Similar widespread outages have previously affected large parts of Java and Sumatra. Former President Joko Widodo also publicly criticized state-owned utility PT PLN (Persero) following a major blackout in Java during his administration.

Fresh concerns emerged this week after several regions across Java reportedly experienced rolling blackouts beginning on Monday, June 8, 2026.

A source at PLN headquarters said the outages were implemented to maintain the balance between electricity supply and demand amid limited energy availability.

“It is not a blackout yet, but rolling outages have become necessary across Java to distribute the available energy more evenly. Only Bali and Jakarta are being prioritized to remain fully supplied following directives from PLN headquarters to maintain system performance,” the source said on Wednesday.

Power interruptions have been reported in several provinces, including Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java.

Residents have already begun feeling the impact. Suseno, a resident of Bogor, West Java, said electricity in his area was cut off from midday and briefly restored before sunset, only to go out again until nighttime.

“The power went out since the afternoon, came back briefly before sunset, and then went off again until the evening,” he said.

Similar rolling outages have also been reported in the Gejayan and Kaliurang areas of Yogyakarta over the past several days.

Meanwhile, Teuku Yudhistira, National Coordinator of Volunteers for Electricity for the Nation (Re-LUN), urged President Prabowo Subianto to take immediate action to prevent the crisis from escalating.

According to Yudhistira, data collected by the organization indicates that coal reserves at power plants operated by the PLN Group and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have entered critical territory.

“Coal stocks at PLN Group power plants are sufficient for only around 12 days of operation, while IPP power plants have reserves for approximately 11 days. Under PLN’s internal standards, coal inventories should not fall below 26 days,” he said.

He identified several strategic coal-fired power plants within the Jamali system that have entered “red alert” status due to low coal inventories, including Paiton, Pacitan, Tanjung Awar-Awar, Rembang, Indramayu, Adipala, Pelabuhan Ratu, Lontar, Labuan, and Tanjung Jati.

Among IPP-operated facilities, similar conditions were reported at Paiton, Jawa Power, Cilacap, and Celukan Bawang power plants.

Yudhistira further revealed that information obtained by his organization showed the Jamali electricity system is currently facing a daytime power deficit of around 750 megawatts (MW), potentially increasing to 1,500 MW during evening peak demand.

“The situation is extremely dangerous. If it continues, it will significantly affect public activities and business operations, including small and medium-sized enterprises,” he said.

In addition to urging the government to address coal supply issues immediately, Yudhistira called for a comprehensive evaluation of PLN’s management.

He said PLN’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, scheduled for June 15, could serve as an important opportunity to implement reforms within the state-owned electricity company.

“The President must take strategic action immediately. Indonesia must not face another major blackout like the one that occurred in Bali last year,” he stressed.

Following the Bali blackout in May 2025, PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo stated that the outage was not caused by a cyberattack. Nevertheless, the incident served as a reminder that maintaining the resilience of Indonesia’s electricity supply remains a critical challenge requiring continuous vigilance and preparedness.