Bahlil Invites Investors to Build Green Energy-Based Data Centers in Indonesia

TANGERANG, GARISBUMI.com – Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia invites investors to build data centers in Indonesia by utilizing the abundant renewable energy potential.

The two big potentials offered by the government are the Mamberamo River hydroelectric power plant in Papua with a capacity of around 23 gigawatts and the Kayan River in Kalimantan with around 12 gigawatts.

Bahlil conveyed this invitation when opening Electricity Connect 2026 in Partnership with Enlit Asia at ICE BSD, Tangerang, Tuesday (22/9/2026). The event was attended by thousands of delegates, investors, business people and academics from within and outside the country.

According to Bahlil, energy needs in various countries continue to increase along with the rapid growth of the digital industry. At the same time, industrial players increasingly need electricity supplies originating from new and renewable energy.

This condition is considered to be an opportunity for Indonesia to offer clean energy sources while attracting data center investment.

"We know that in several countries now the need for energy is starting to run out, especially new renewable energy. Data centers, wow, there are a lot of them. Ladies and gentlemen, investors don't need to hesitate if they build data centers in Indonesia," said Bahlil.

Mamberamo and Kayan Hydroelectric Power Plants Become an Attraction

Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands with diverse energy potential, ranging from solar, water, geothermal, to wind power.

This potential can be used to meet the electricity needs of the digital industry, which requires a large, stable supply and is increasingly demanded to come from low-carbon energy sources.

Bahlil mentioned the Mamberamo River in Papua and the Kayan River in Kalimantan as two locations with the potential for large-scale hydroelectric power plants.

"Some are building in Kalimantan, some are building in Sumatra. If someone wants water, the hydroelectric power plant in Papua, the Mamberamo River, has a potential of 23 gigawatts. In Kalimantan, in Kayan, it's more or less around 12 gigawatts. That's a lot," he said.

The availability of clean energy is an important consideration in data center development. Apart from requiring large amounts of electricity supply, the industry faces demands to reduce emissions from its operational activities.

RUPTL Targets Additional Generation of 69.5 GW

The government stated that it continues to pursue the target of net zero emissions in the 2050 to 2060 range through the development of renewable energy.

This commitment is included in the Electricity Supply Business Plan or RUPTL 2025–2034. In the document, the government targets additional generating capacity of 69.5 GW with 70 percent coming from new and renewable energy.

The government is also running a solar power generation program with a capacity of 100 GW which is targeted to be completed in three years.

"This is not just a theme, a concrete program was immediately created," stressed Bahlil.

It is hoped that the development of clean energy generation will not only strengthen the national electricity system, but also support the growth of digital industry, downstreaming and new economic activities.

Economic Growth is Considered to Support Investment

Apart from energy potential, the government offers economic stability and the size of the domestic market as investment attractions.

Bahlil said that the Indonesian economy continued to grow above 5 percent in the second quarter with inflation of around 3 percent amidst global geopolitical uncertainty.

With a population approaching 300 million people, the need for energy and digital services in Indonesia is expected to continue to increase.

The government encourages data center investment to go hand in hand with the development of renewable energy generation and strengthening the national electricity system.

"If you want to invest, now is the moment. This is the right timing. Now don't ask about natural resources, but I ask all of you, are you serious or not about investing in Indonesia?" he said.

Electricity Connect 2026 carries the theme "Powering Regional Sovereignty, Securing Energy Systems Resilience". The forum is a meeting space for government, investors, industry players and academics to strengthen the reliability, affordability and cleanliness of the electricity system amidst developments in industrialization, downstreaming and digitalization.