• ACCEPT II Senior Researcher, Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah, was invited to moderate a discussion at the side event of the 40th Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME).  
• With the theme “Transitioning Remote and Island Communities to Renewable Energy”, the discussion invited panelists from the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of Indonesia; GEAPP; GGGI; RMI; GIZ; NZMATES; and BRIN/ IBEKA. 

On 20 June 2023, Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah, Senior Researcher of the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT) II, led the discussion on “Transitioning Remote and Island Communities to Renewable Energy” as the panel discussion moderator. The event was held in conjunction with the 41st Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME) in Indonesia.  The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), along with the ASEAN Chair Indonesia, has organized the event to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on renewable electrification of remote island communities. Through an engaging discussion, this event aimed to enable the sharing of experiences and findings from various stakeholders as well as opening doors to scaled-up involvements, innovations, and financing to support energy transition in remote areas. 

Notable figures representing various institutions were present as the panelists, including: 

1. Ir. Sofyan Hanafi, M.Si, Director of Alignment Facilities and Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of Indonesia
2. Mr. Lucky Nurrahmat, Country Lead Indonesia, Global Energy Alliance for People & Planet (GEAPP)
3. Mr. Gulshan Vashistha, Regional Investment Lead, Global Green Growth Initiative
4. Mr. Rizky Fauzianto, Manager for Indonesia and SE Asia Southeast Asia Program, Rocky Mountain Institute
5. Ms. Erwina Damajanti, Senior Advisor, Renewable Energy for Electrification Programme (REEP), GIZ
6. Mr. Vasco Tangkulung, Technical Manager, NZMATES
7. Ms. Tri Mumpuni, Member – Board of Governor, National Research and Innovation Indonesia (BRIN)/ Executive Director, IBEKA.

Since 2010, Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) based solutions have been implemented to increase electricity accessibility in remote communities such as Nepal and Mongolia. Such energy access projects possess notable potential yet are still hampered by various barriers. The panel discussion was started by inviting the panelists to share their insights on the primary barriers to the transition towards clean and renewable energy in remote island communities.   

Government involvement in enabling energy transition in remote and island communities is highly crucial. Therefore, the discussion was led to focus next on how the Ministry of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Indonesia work alongside PT. PLN to plan electrification programs and provide energy beyond household needs, such as for agriculture. The discussion also highlighted the importance of the international community’s role to support local energy sourcing problems, especially in terms of national and foreign capital which can accelerate the transition away from greenhouse gas emitting sources based on IBEKA’s perspectives. 

 On a more practical level, the discussion also elaborated on the panelists’ experience-sharing. As an important player in terms of promoting clean energy transition which upholds affordability, sustainability, and reliable energy access, the Global Energy Alliance for People and the Plant (GEAPP)’s role in bringing affordable finance to promote decentralized renewable energy in electrifying remote communities was examined. The Global Green Growth Initiative (GGGI) has also implemented a project with the support from the New Zealand government to promote reliable and clean energy access. Based on their experience, GGGI shared the considerations on successful financial models when it comes to electrification of last mile communities and ways to mitigate investment risks in rural electrification. Perspectives from GIZ on the best delivery mechanism to sustain operations in remote and island communities after the program has finished were also shared. Furthermore, NZMATES’ involvement in Maluku province of Indonesia and the replacement of diesel generator with renewables was an interesting case to observe and discuss. Remaining in the topic of diesel, the panelist from RMI was also invited to share strategies to help remote communities transition from diesel. 

Detailed information on ACCEPT II can be found at https://accept.aseanenergy.org/.  

ACCEPT II welcomes any collaboration, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]