Renewable energy society takes 22 recommendations and a 263 dam solar idea to the MPR

Indonesia's renewable energy community brought a practical idea to the national legislature at the start of October. On Monday 5 October 2026, the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (Masyarakat Energi Terbarukan Indonesia, METI) held an audience with Eddy Soeparno, Deputy Chair of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), at the Nusantara III Building in Jakarta.

The delegation, led by METI General Chair Norman Ginting, carried two things. The first was a package of 22 recommendations, grouped into five pillars, intended as input for the draft law on new and renewable energy (RUU EBET). The second was a concrete proposal: use the reservoirs of 263 state owned dams as sites for floating solar and hydropower, an option that METI estimates holds around 23.9 GW of renewable potential without the need to acquire new land.

Both proposals were framed in support of programmes the government has already set in motion, above all the 100 GWp solar programme launched on 25 August 2026.

What METI put on the table

The central message of the meeting was that renewable energy should be treated as more than a way of producing clean electricity. According to reporting by Listrik Indonesia and RuangEnergi, METI argued that renewables can strengthen national energy independence, widen equitable access to energy, and stimulate local economies at the same time.

The 22 recommendations are organised under five pillars:

• Regulation
• Infrastructure
• Financing
• Offtake and pricing
• Institutions

METI presented these as substantive input to strengthen the legal foundation for renewable energy through the RUU EBET. RuangEnergi reported that the society also asked for the energy legislation to move forward promptly, so that investors gain certainty on tariffs, licensing and power purchase agreements.

METI also stated its support for three government programmes: the 100 GWp solar megaproject, the mandatory B50 biodiesel blend, and Presidential Regulation No. 110 of 2025 on the economic value of carbon. In that sense, the visit was less a request for new direction than an offer to help the existing direction move faster.

The society also reported on its own activity between May and September 2026. It has established regional offices in six provinces, and its IndoEBTKE Conex 2026 conference drew 944 delegates and 4,953 visitors and produced 21 memoranda of understanding between industry participants.

The 263 dam proposal

The idea that is most likely to attract attention is the dam proposal. METI suggested that the government make fuller use of 263 state owned dams as locations for floating solar arrays and hydropower plants. The society estimates the combined renewable potential at roughly 23.9 GW.

The appeal is straightforward. Land acquisition is one of the slowest and most sensitive parts of building utility scale solar in Indonesia. A reservoir that already belongs to the state, already has road access and often sits close to existing grid infrastructure removes much of that friction. Floating panels can also reduce evaporation from the water surface, and the cooling effect of the water can help panels perform well in a hot climate.

Using 263 state owned dams for floating solar and hydropower could add around 23.9 GW of renewable potential without acquiring a single new hectare of land.

That is a meaningful figure. For comparison, the CNBC Indonesia report on first half 2026 data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources put Indonesia's accumulated installed renewable capacity at 16.32 GW. The dam estimate alone exceeds that total, although it should be read as an estimate of technical potential rather than a project list.

Indonesia already has a working template. The Cirata floating solar plant in West Java, inaugurated in November 2023, has a capacity of 192 MWp, or 145 MWac, and was built by PLN through PLN Nusantara Power together with Masdar of the United Arab Emirates. Its operator, PMSE, said at Energy Week 2026 in September that it plans to expand Cirata to 500 MW in a first phase and 1,000 MW in a second phase, in support of the 100 GW programme.

Two more reservoir projects are moving. Construction of the 134 MWp Gajah Mungkur floating solar plant in Wonogiri, Central Java, began on 25 August 2026, with around 218 GWh of output a year expected from the end of 2027, about 37 percent of the electricity needs of Wonogiri Regency. Kompas reported that the panels will occupy less than 5 percent of the reservoir's roughly 5,600 hectare surface. In East Java, the Karangkates floating solar plant in Malang Regency, developed by PLN Nusantara Power with 100 MWac or 133 MWp of capacity, was reported to be 70 percent complete at the end of September and is expected to serve the equivalent of about 35,000 households.

These three plants together amount to about 459 MWp. Set against METI's estimate of 23.9 GW across 263 dams, they show both that the model works and how much room remains to scale it.

Energy that creates local value

METI illustrated its economic argument with a small project. On Sembur Island in Batam, a 1 MWp solar installation with 1 MWh of battery storage, developed by Pertamina NRE, now powers cold storage and ice making for local fishers. According to RuangEnergi, this has helped improve both the quality and the quantity of their catch.

The example is modest in scale but clear in logic. Reliable clean power allowed a coastal community to move into higher value activity, keeping fish fresh for longer and reducing losses. This is the kind of outcome METI wants the legal framework to encourage: renewable energy designed around productive use, not only around kilowatt hours delivered to the grid.

It also connects with the circular economy view that Sirkularium promotes. When energy, water and local production are planned together, each resource supports the others. A reservoir that stores water for irrigation and drinking can also host solar panels. A solar plant on a small island can power cold chains that reduce food waste.

Where the legal framework stands

The RUU EBET has been under discussion for some time. In mid September, Listrik Indonesia reported Eddy Soeparno, in his role as a member of Commission XII of the House of Representatives, explaining that the legislative sequence would place the oil and gas law first, followed by climate change legislation, after which lawmakers would decide whether to discuss the renewable energy bill together with them or separately. The same report noted that Commission XII had already received input from METI, and that a revision of the electricity law, including the question of power wheeling, is also being discussed.

The 5 October meeting therefore continues an established dialogue. METI's 22 recommendations give legislators a structured reference they can draw on whenever the bill moves to the next stage, and the five pillar structure maps neatly onto the issues investors raise most often.

National data provide context for the urgency. The CNBC Indonesia report put the renewable share of the national energy mix at 17.3 percent in the first half of 2026, within the strategic plan range of 17 to 21 percent, after a peak of 18.3 percent in the first quarter. Solar contributed 0.51 percent of the mix. That small share is exactly why the 100 GWp programme, and practical routes such as reservoir based solar, matter so much: the room for growth is very large.

Sirkularium's view

The METI audience is a constructive example of how the renewable energy community and the legislature can work together. It brings forward ideas that support the government's own targets rather than competing with them, and it offers a practical tool, the use of existing public assets, that could shorten timelines for the 100 GWp solar programme.

For government and public institutions, Sirkularium sees four practical steps.

First, build a shared inventory. A joint screening of the 263 state owned dams by the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and PLN, covering water use, grid proximity, environmental sensitivity and safe surface coverage limits, would turn the 23.9 GW estimate into a ranked pipeline. Gajah Mungkur's coverage of less than 5 percent of the reservoir surface shows that careful limits can be set from the start.

Second, standardise the model. Cirata, Gajah Mungkur and Karangkates already offer lessons on procurement, design and grid connection. Capturing these in standard documents for reservoir solar would help regional utilities and developers replicate projects faster and at lower cost.

Third, design for multiple uses. Reservoirs serve irrigation, drinking water, flood control and fisheries. Planning floating solar so that it supports these uses, and shares revenue or benefits with surrounding communities, will build lasting local support. The Sembur Island example shows how energy can lift local livelihoods when it is planned around productive use.

Fourth, let the legal framework carry the practical lessons. The five pillars in METI's recommendations, regulation, infrastructure, financing, offtake and pricing, and institutions, are a useful checklist for the RUU EBET and the electricity law revision. Clear rules on reservoir use permits and power purchase terms would give investors the certainty METI asked for.

What to watch next: the next stage of deliberation on the RUU EBET, the commissioning of Karangkates later this year, the expansion plans for Cirata, and whether reservoir based solar is formally included in the implementation plan for the 100 GWp programme. Sirkularium welcomes this dialogue and stands ready to support public institutions in turning water infrastructure into a platform for clean energy and local economic value.