While the U.S. is against the Iranian nuclear program, the U.S. has tried to promote nuclear energy on the other side of the world, especially promoting nuclear energy in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the U.S. has offered to assist Indonesia in building its nuclear sites to overcome Indonesia’s upcoming energy crisis. From 22-24 June of 2026, Dr Kelle Barfield, who specialises in nuclear partnerships, is staying in Jakarta, visiting stakeholders to discuss the initiative to power Indonesia’s future clean energy. Dr Kelle Barfield explained that the clean nuclear energy initiative is feasible and significant for Indonesian energy security. For the first phase, a small modular reactor is proposed to meet Indonesia’s electricity needs.
Nuclear Energy in Indonesia Might Not Be a Choice
It is almost certain that Indonesia needs to adopt nuclear technology. Nowadays, Indonesia has a strong dependency on coal. In fact, coal is a finite energy source, and, as a fossil fuel, it has negative impacts on our environment. Nowadays, our coal reserve is 61,366 billion tons. Meanwhile, the yearly usage is about 628 million tons. Based on yearly predictions in 2015, the reserve will only last for the next 83 years. Indonesia itself should realise that depending on coal is illogical. In fact, Indonesian coal only accounts for 3,1% of the world’s total production. If we still focus on coal, we put ourselves in a position of dependence on other countries. When the value of the Dollar relative to the Rupiah is rising as it is nowadays, our energy security is under serious threat(Dwi Atmanto 2016). Now, we are in 2025, and we only have 73 years left for our dependency on coal. The blackout crisis in the last two weeks somehow confirms that our dependency on coal is at a critical level.
Nuclear seems to be a feasible solution, especially in Indonesia. Using geothermal as a new energy source seems unattainable. Based on the International Energy Agency (IEA) executive summary, there are several issues that we have with geothermal. First, the first exploration would be costly. It is very costly without a guarantee that the geothermal potential in one site is enough to generate our electric energy for years to come. Secondly, the sites of geothermal are not closer to urban areas, therefore there will be added cost to transport the electrical energy, making the expenditure not economically friendly for people(IAE 2026).
The Communication Issue for Nuclear Energy Presence in Indonesia
A common issue with nuclear is how to communicate with residents in Indonesia. There are a lot of fear and concerns from locals when the nuclear sites are erected nearby. There are concerns over the spoilage of nuclear waste that can pollute the vicinity of nuclear sites. People are still portraying the possibility of having issues like those in Chornobyl or Fukushima.
Nonetheless, the risks are always there, but such situations can be overcome with proper preparation and a contingency plan. To add more, there would not be hundreds of nuclear sites, since nuclear power is highly efficient, ensuring that one nuclear site can supply a lot of electricity nearby. For example, 1 kg of uranium produces as much power as 3,000 tons of coal, making electricity much cheaper(Universitas Negeri Surabaya 2025). In terms of maximum capacity. A coal-fuelled generator will only reach 80% to 83% of its maximum capacity. At the same time, the nuclear-powered generator can reach 93% of its full capacity in the whole year.
In the end, the energy transformation is something that the government should be concerned about. During Joko Widodo’s regime, the electric projects are among the national priorities. Yet we have not seen any concrete steps from Prabowo to address Indonesia’s potential energy crisis.
Referensi
Dwi Atmanto, Lukas Joko. 2016. “Penantian Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Nuklir Di Indonesia.” Majalah Ilmiah Pengembangan Rekayasa Dan Sosial 12 (2).
IAE. 2026. “Technology Breakthroughs Are Unlocking Huge Potential for Geothermal Energy,” 2026. https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-geothermal-energy/executive-summary?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
Universitas Negeri Surabaya. 2025. “Uranium: Unsur Langka Di Balik Energi Nuklir Dan Inovasi Teknologi Modern,” 2025. https://s2kimia.fmipa.unesa.ac.id/post/uranium-unsur-langka-di-balik-energi-nuklir-dan-inovasi-teknologi-modern.
