Jakarta. State electricity company PLN has replaced President Director Darmawan Prasodjo with renewable energy executive Suroso Isnandar, just hours after President Prabowo Subianto called for a sweeping transformation of the utility's business model.

The leadership change was approved during an online shareholders' meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, attended by PLN's board of directors, commissioners and representatives of the State-Owned Enterprises Regulatory Agency.

Danantara Indonesia Chief Operating Officer Dony Oskaria and PLN Commissioner Andi Arief confirmed the appointment.

Dony said Suroso would temporarily retain his existing responsibilities as PLN's director of project management and renewable energy while serving as the company's new president director.

"For the time being, Suroso will serve as president director while retaining his previous position until a replacement is appointed," Dony said.

The leadership change followed a meeting earlier Wednesday at the Presidential Palace, where Prabowo summoned Danantara Chief Executive Officer Rosan Roeslani and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to discuss PLN's transformation and the acceleration of a solar power development program targeting 100 gigawatts (GW) of capacity.

Following the meeting, Rosan said the president had instructed Danantara to assess PLN's business model and prepare recommendations to improve efficiency, productivity and operational responsiveness.

The presidential meeting also came amid widespread electricity outages affecting Batam over the preceding two days.

However, officials have not publicly established whether the outages or Prabowo's transformation directive directly prompted Darmawan's replacement.

New CEO Brings Power Grid and Renewable Energy Experience
Suroso, 55, has extensive experience in electricity generation, power system operations, digital technology and renewable energy development.

Before joining PLN, he worked at ScottishPower Generation from 2002 to 2007.

He subsequently held several senior positions at PLN, including roles involving power system planning and electricity infrastructure management.

From 2019 to 2021, Suroso headed PLN's Sulawesi Generation and Transmission Main Unit, overseeing electricity generation and transmission operations in the region.

He then served as general manager of PLN's Java-Madura-Bali Load Dispatch Center from 2021 to 2022, a position involving the operation and reliability of the electricity system serving Indonesia's largest power market.

Suroso later led PLN's Digital and Information Technology Division from 2022 to 2023.

In September 2023, he joined the company's board of directors as director of risk management.

He was appointed director of project management and renewable energy in June 2025, placing him in charge of areas central to PLN's clean energy development strategy.

His work has included involvement in the 1.2 GW Mentari Nusantara I solar power project and participation in the Indonesia Smart Grid Initiative, which promotes the development of smarter and more resilient electricity networks.

Add as a preferred source on Google +