By: Pandu Pratama)
The Indonesian government continues to demonstrate its commitment to achieving national energy self-sufficiency through various strategies, one of which is by simplifying bureaucratic processes. This measure is deemed essential to accelerating the development of energy infrastructure and enhancing the investment climate in the national energy sector. By cutting convoluted licensing procedures and streamlining administrative processes, the government seeks to ensure that energy projects are no longer hindered by overlapping regulations or technical obstacles in the field.
The impact of streamlined bureaucracy is not only felt by major investors but also positively affects community-based energy initiatives such as rooftop solar power (PLTS), biogas, and bioenergy projects. Through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), the government has promoted an integrated and online-based licensing system, making it easier for both businesses and communities to initiate and manage energy projects legally and systematically. This not only increases public participation in the energy sector but also strengthens grassroots energy resilience.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, stated that in practice, bureaucratic simplification goes beyond licensing. It also includes spatial planning certainty, more coordinated land acquisition, and simplified reporting processes. The government continues to enhance the capacity of bureaucratic human resources through training and mentoring, enabling civil servants to process energy project applications more quickly, accurately, and professionally. This efficiency ultimately reduces transaction costs and administrative risks, allowing investment and development processes to proceed more optimally and accountably.
However, the government remains committed to maintaining oversight and accountability to prevent policy misuse or violations of safety and environmental standards. Although procedures are expedited, they are still governed by precautionary principles, including thorough technical feasibility assessments and environmental impact analyses. This approach ensures that the pursuit of rapid energy development does not compromise the quality of life or the sustainability of surrounding ecosystems.
Professor Hamid Paddu, an economics and business expert from Hasanuddin University, noted that in the past, the development of the national energy sector was often hampered by lengthy licensing processes and regulatory misalignment between the central and regional governments. Strategic projects could take months or even years to secure location, environmental, and operational permits. Now, thanks to bureaucratic reforms and the implementation of digital technologies such as the Online Single Submission (OSS) system, these processes can be completed within weeks—or even days—depending on the completeness of the documents and the applicant’s preparedness. This is clear evidence of how an efficient bureaucracy can accelerate the achievement of energy self-sufficiency.
This progress has also boosted foreign investor confidence and international partnerships, reinforcing Indonesia’s seriousness in managing the energy sector professionally and sustainably. New and renewable energy projects such as wind farms, solar plants, and geothermal initiatives are becoming increasingly attractive due to greater legal and administrative certainty. Moreover, regions that were previously considered remote are now emerging as potential locations for investment, thanks to improved coordination between central and local authorities in facilitating permits and supervision.
Erika Retnowati, Head of the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas), emphasized that the goal of energy self-sufficiency will drive infrastructure development and boost national gas production. The government is committed to implementing sound energy and mineral resource governance policies to achieve energy self-reliance, particularly in the natural gas sector.
In addition, the government continues to pursue downstream industrialization and develop resource-based industries to increase domestic value-added. One of its major efforts toward energy self-sufficiency is the expansion of energy access. To realize this—especially in the downstream sector—Indonesia needs to develop gas infrastructure, including the construction of transmission and distribution pipelines as well as household natural gas networks (jargas).
The government’s success in creating bureaucratic ease in the energy sector deserves appreciation, though future challenges remain significant. Indonesia must ensure that these policies are consistently implemented down to the regional level, given the crucial role local governments play in executing energy projects. Regulatory harmonization between central and regional administrations must be continuously strengthened, along with public involvement and information transparency, as part of democratic and inclusive energy governance.
With all these advancements, Indonesia is on the right track toward national energy independence. Energy self-sufficiency is no longer merely a discourse—it is a vision increasingly being realized through pro-efficiency, acceleration-oriented bureaucratic policies. When bureaucracy shifts from being a barrier to becoming a catalyst, the dream of meeting the nation’s energy needs independently, fairly, and sustainably comes ever closer to reality.
*) The author is a student at Uninus Bandung.
