Jakarta. The public is eagerly waiting to hear the three vice presidential candidates' promises to stop coal-fired power plants during the upcoming presidential debate on Sunday. This is a crucial step in shifting to more environmentally friendly energy sources from fossil fuels.

The three vice-presidential candidates -- Muhaimin Iskandar, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Mohammad Mahfud MD -- will engage in discussions covering a wide range of topics, including environmental issues, agriculture, energy, and food security.

Environmental law expert Grita Anindarini Widyaningsih said that all candidates have already committed to ending coal-fired power plant (PLTU) operations. However, none have provided a detailed outline of the policy for retiring these PLTUs.

"The actual timeframe is what we are truly waiting for, how committed the candidates are to stop PLTUs as early as possible," said Grita, Deputy Director of the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), on Monday.

Grita said that every candidate should create a clear plan to gradually stop using coal-fired power plants, ensuring a full switch to new and renewable energy (EBT) by 2050.

She also warned that the move from coal to EBT will affect regions dependent on coal, and candidates must ensure they are ready for the shutdown of coal-fired power plants.

"How to build domestic readiness when these coal-fired power plants are going to be closed because we cannot deny that when PLTUs are closed, the impact will be significant, especially in areas highly dependent on coal," said Grita.

According to the Global Energy Monitor report, Indonesia ranks third in the world in coal production and employs 159,900 coal miners, with nearly 40 percent of them located in East Kalimantan, the province with the most intensive mining activity. The mining sector has expanded across 5 million hectares of East Kalimantan and now constitutes 35 percent of the local GDP. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified this province as the most coal-dependent region globally, with coal mining employment comprising 4-8 percent of the workforce. 

Grita said that coal-fired power plants are a significant contributor to climate change, affecting agriculture and posing threats such as rising sea levels to fishermen. "So, (coal-fired power plants) are indeed one of the crucial things to retire soon," emphasized Grita.

Grita assessed that the companies managing coal-fired power plants in Indonesia, such as state-owned utility company PLN, have not taken serious responsibility in addressing these issues. 

"Environmental pollution and societal conflicts persist. The legal responsibility for these issues should not be neglected or overlooked; the government must continue to enforce accountability from the coal-fired power plants that will eventually be shut down," Grita said.

Indonesia launched the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) on Nov. 15, 2022, at the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in Bali. The JETP is an agreement aimed at mobilizing an initial $20 billion in public and private financing to decarbonize Indonesia's energy sector. This initiative utilizes a combination of grants, concessional loans, market-rate loans, guarantees, and private investments. 

The primary objective is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with global efforts. A part of the JETP funding will be allocated to support the premature closure of coal-fired power plants by 2030.