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Indonesia is experiencing an explosive surge in captive coal power, with total operational and prospective capacity reaching nearly 31 GW. This growth is heavily concentrated in nickel hubs like Central Sulawesi and North Maluku, dwarfing the expansion of the national power grid. The report highlights significant data discrepancies in official JETP mapping and warns that regulatory loopholes in PERPRES 112/2022 allow 'national strategic projects' to bypass coal moratoriums. This trajectory is projected to cause 27,000 additional air pollution-related deaths and USD 20 billion in economic burden, while creating 'sacrifice zones' that risk Indonesia's position in global green supply chains.

Indonesia is experiencing a surge in 'captive' coal-fired power plants—industrial plants not connected to the national grid—which are growing significantly faster than on-grid capacity. Driven largely by nickel smelting in Sulawesi and North Maluku, total operational and prospective captive capacity is projected to reach 31 GW, nearly tripling 2023 levels. The report highlights critical transparency gaps in government and JETP data, regulatory loopholes for National Strategic Projects (PSN), and severe long-term economic and health costs, including an estimated 27,000 additional deaths and USD 20 billion in cumulative economic burdens if these plants are not phased out.

The Rempang Eco City project has caused significant environmental and economic losses for local households, with annual environmental losses estimated at IDR 1.3 billion per household, far exceeding their potential income. The study highlights a discrepancy between government claims and actual household incomes, suggesting that promised economic benefits are unlikely to materialize, while noting that non-economic losses—such as cultural and social erosion—remain unquantified.

The report evaluates the impact of the Rempang Eco City project, a National Strategic Project (PSN) intended for solar panel and alumina industries. Through economic valuation, the study finds that the average household income on Rempang Island is IDR 32.77 million per month, contradicting government claims of IDR 3 million. The research estimates that the project causes environmental losses of approximately Rp109 million per household per month, driven by the destruction of mangrove ecosystems, loss of livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, and forced relocation. The document criticizes the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) for lacking community participation and transparency, and recommends the complete cancellation of the project to ensure socio-ecological justice.

The report examines the surge in data centre development in Southeast Asia, highlighting how increasing electricity demand—particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines—threatens climate targets due to reliance on fossil-fuel-dominated grids. It argues that without significant investment in solar and wind energy and improved energy efficiency, the digital boom will lead to a substantial rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

The report argues that the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) can unlock significant renewable energy potential and enhance energy security by connecting resource-rich countries with high-demand markets. It highlights specific planned solar and wind projects, the role of the ASEAN Interconnection Master Plan Study (AIMS), and the potential for 30 GW of additional renewable capacity to generate 109 TWh of electricity and create 182,000 jobs.

Trend Asia criticizes the new PP KEN for extending the use of fossil fuels until 2060, lowering renewable energy targets for 2030, and promoting high-risk or non-renewable 'new energy' sources like nuclear, hydrogen, and ammonia. The report highlights the environmental and social risks of bioenergy, specifically co-firing and Energy Plantation Forests (HTE), which it links to deforestation and land grabbing. It further argues that the policy lacks transparency, excludes community-scale renewable energy, and prioritizes industrial interests over human rights and ecological sustainability.

The report examines the Rempang Eco City project, a National Strategic Project (PSN) in Indonesia's Riau Islands, which is promoted as a green industrial zone for solar panel glass production. It argues that the project contradicts the principles of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) by causing forced evictions, human rights abuses, and social conflict among indigenous Malay, Orang Laut, and Orang Darat communities. The analysis reveals that the project's primary investor, Xinyi Group, plans to use a 2 GW coal-fired power plant, undermining its 'green' label. Furthermore, the report alleges systemic corruption and a lack of transparency, identifying PT Makmur Elok Graha (PT MEG) as the concession holder and tracing its ownership through shell companies in the British Virgin Islands to hide the beneficial ownership of figures like Tomy Winata. The document concludes that the project prioritizes elite profit and foreign investment over the rights and basic needs of local residents, who continue to face electricity shortages while the region is developed for energy exports to Singapore.

The document analyzes the legal and social conflicts surrounding the Rempang Eco-City project in Batam, arguing that the Indonesian government has prioritized foreign investment and capital growth over the rights of indigenous communities. It details a complex history of land management through the BP Batam authority, the classification of ancestral lands as state forests or hunting parks to facilitate land seizure, and alleged irregularities in the project's planning and ownership, noting that the 'eco-city' designation does not appear in regional or national spatial plans.

The report alleges that government officials pushing for the Rempang Eco City project—specifically the establishment of a Xinyi Glass solar panel factory—may have business affiliations with solar power plant (PLTS) projects in Batam. It argues that these two PSNs form a business ecosystem where officials' affiliated companies would be potential buyers of the panels produced in Rempang. Additionally, the report claims that PT MEG, a manager of Rempang Eco City, is likely a shell company linked to a tax haven in the British Virgin Islands. The document also notes human rights violations and community resistance, including the use of tear gas against children during protests on September 7, 2023.

The document denounces the violent repression of residents on Rempang Island who protested against a National Strategic Program to build an 'eco-city' without local consent. It highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and criminalization of indigenous peoples and social movements in Indonesia, citing similar conflicts in Wadas and Kulonprogo. The organization demands the cancellation of the Rempang project, an end to police violence, and a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in indigenous and local community territories.

Friends of the Earth International and WALHI condemn the violent police crackdown on September 7, 2023, on Rempang Island, where residents protested a government-led "eco-city" project. The statement highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and criminalization of indigenous and local communities in Indonesia, citing similar conflicts in Wadas and Kulonprogo. The organizations demand the cancellation of the Rempang eco-city plan, an end to police violence, and a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in indigenous and local territories.

The report analyzes Indonesia's shift from a high fiscal reliance on oil and gas revenues to a more diversified economy. It highlights a critical imbalance where government revenues from fossil fuel production are largely offset by inefficient consumption subsidies that disproportionately benefit wealthy households. The document warns of the risk of stranded assets valued between USD 200–300 billion and argues for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies to create fiscal space for renewable energy and social development.

The document examines how fuel subsidy reforms in Indonesia affect SMEs, noting that while these businesses are generally less energy-intensive than large enterprises, they are more vulnerable to price shocks. It highlights that indirect impacts—such as increased transportation costs and reduced purchasing power of low-income consumers—are often more severe than direct energy cost increases. The author recommends government support through improved credit access, infrastructure investment, and technical assistance for energy efficiency and alternative energy adoption.

The report provides an economic valuation of the environmental and social losses resulting from the Rempang Eco City project on Pulau Rempang. It finds that the average monthly income of local households (Rp32.77 million) is significantly higher than government claims (Rp3 million), and that the projected environmental losses per household (Rp109 million per month) are more than three times their income. The document criticizes the project's 'green economy' narrative, highlighting the destruction of mangroves, loss of traditional livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, and the marginalization of indigenous communities through forced relocation and criminalization.