Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s universities are ready to support the acceleration of clean energy implementation and the national energy transition through stronger research and scientific studies, according to Brian Yuliarto, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Speaking to reporters after a limited cabinet meeting chaired by Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (5 March 2026), Brian said the president had instructed universities to play an active role in accelerating the development of renewable energy.
According to Brian, higher education institutions are expected to contribute research findings and policy studies to support the expansion of solar energy technologies, particularly solar cells and solar power plants (PLTS).
“We from universities are asked to ensure that research results and scientific studies support the acceleration of solar cell development and solar power plants, especially to replace power plants that are still expensive, such as diesel-based power generation,” Brian told journalists.
He explained that universities will focus their contributions on research, policy analysis, and technological innovation that can accelerate the implementation of the national energy transition program.
The overall coordination of the initiative will be led by Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.
In addition to renewable energy development, the government is also pushing the acceleration of fuel-based vehicle conversion toward electric vehicles. The policy is seen as crucial to reducing Indonesia’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, whose prices are highly influenced by global market dynamics.
Brian noted that rising fuel prices have a significant economic impact, prompting the president to instruct related ministries to accelerate the transition program so that Indonesia’s dependence on imports and volatile global prices can be reduced.
The government is also promoting the use of electric stoves as an alternative to LPG-based cooking. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on subsidized LPG while maintaining the stability of the state budget.
According to Brian, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology will support the program by accelerating research and policy studies related to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and electric cooking technologies, all of which will be coordinated by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. (*)
