Indonesia not yet allowing electricity exports, says Bahlil
The minister said domestic power needs take priority and urged Danantara Indonesia not to yield to lobbying over exports.
Indonesia is not yet permitting electricity exports because domestic demand must come first, Bahlil Lahadalia said at Minerba Convex 2026 in Jakarta on 2 November 2026.
Bahlil, the coordinating minister for downstreaming and energy transition and minister of energy and mineral resources, urged Danantara Indonesia not to give in to lobbying. He stressed that authority to issue export permits rests with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, rather than Danantara.
He said his decision prioritised national sovereignty and dignity, linking those concerns to the country's 280 million people.
Indonesia previously signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore on electricity exports. The government had also opened the way for business-to-business electricity transactions, allowing investment management body Danantara or private businesses to partner with Singaporean companies, provided the arrangements remained economically competitive for Indonesia. Bahlil's latest comments made clear that meeting Indonesia's own electricity needs remained his priority.
