INSIDE STORY: Supporting the subnational development of renewable energy - Lessons from West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

This case study analyzes renewable energy development in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, where significant mini-hydro potential (96.5 MW) exists despite current shortages and grid limitations. It highlights the role of national feed-in tariffs and the state electricity company (PLN) in attracting independent power producers. The authors conclude that successful subnational energy security requires a Public–Private–People Partnership (PPPP) approach, continuous capacity building for provincial governments, and the integration of mini-hydro planning with forest conservation.

• West Nusa Tenggara faces severe energy shortages across its 10 districts and municipalities due to high costs and difficult geography limiting grid connections. While the province had a total renewable energy capacity of only 14 MW in 2015, there is significant untapped potential, specifically over 96.5 MW from mini-hydro schemes alone.
• The Indonesian government has used feed-in tariff regulations issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources since 2002 to incentivize local power generation. This, alongside demand from the state electricity company (Perusahan Listrik Negara, PLN), has increased the number of independent power producers (IPPs) interested in operating in the provinces.
• The case study identifies several requirements for effective decentralized renewable energy planning in West Nusa Tenggara: a Public–Private–People Partnership (PPPP) approach for policy and institutional reforms, continual capacity building for provincial government policy-making, and the use of multi-stakeholder approaches and civil society advocacy. Additionally, it notes that community-level producers require different motivations than commercial ones, and that mini-hydro generation must be integrated with forest conservation through spatial planning.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2016). INSIDE STORY: Supporting the subnational development of renewable energy - Lessons from West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. https://cdkn.org/resource/inside-story-supporting-subnational-development-renewable-energy-lessons-west-nusa-tenggara-indonesia

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. INSIDE STORY: Supporting the subnational development of renewable energy - Lessons from West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. 2016. https://cdkn.org/resource/inside-story-supporting-subnational-development-renewable-energy-lessons-west-nusa-tenggara-indonesia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=INSIDE STORY: Supporting the subnational development of renewable energy - Lessons from West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia |date=23 June 2016 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/inside-story-supporting-subnational-development-renewable-energy-lessons-west-nusa-tenggara-indonesia |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2016inside, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{INSIDE STORY: Supporting the subnational development of renewable energy - Lessons from West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/inside-story-supporting-subnational-development-renewable-energy-lessons-west-nusa-tenggara-indonesia}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }