Tangerang. Indonesia’s data center industry could require up to 25,297 megawatts (MW) of electricity capacity by 2034, putting pressure on state utility PLN to expand its power infrastructure as most existing demand remains concentrated in Java.

PLN currently serves 159 data center customers with a combined connected capacity of about 1,990 megavolt-amperes (MVA), with around 99% concentrated in the Java-Madura-Bali (Jamali) electricity system, particularly Greater Jakarta, West Java and Banten.

The concentration presents a challenge as data center development expands to Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, requiring PLN to ensure that power generation, transmission, distribution networks and substations are ready to support the industry’s high and continuous electricity demand.

PLN Executive Vice President of Commerce and Marketing Nayusrizal said the company expects data center IT capacity to grow to 3.5 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from about 580 MW projected for 2026.

The rapid expansion, driven partly by artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital economy, means data centers can no longer be treated as conventional electricity customers, Nayusrizal said.

“Our role now is no longer simply to sell electricity. Our role is to enable the growth of digital infrastructure,” Nayusrizal said while representing PLN’s Director of Retail and Commerce at the opening keynote of the Data Center Power Forum at Electricity Connect 2026 in Tangerang on Tuesday.

Beyond electricity volume, data center operators require reliable power, fast connections, commercial certainty and access to renewable energy. These requirements make the availability and location of supporting power infrastructure increasingly important in determining where new facilities can be built.

PLN is therefore promoting an “early alignment” approach, involving coordination with data center developers from the initial stages of a project to synchronize electricity requirements and development timelines with grid, substation and generation capacity.

“Early coordination allows us to align power needs with system readiness. As a result, electricity supply can be planned more quickly, accurately and efficiently,” Nayusrizal said.

With projected electricity requirements reaching 25,297 MW by 2034, PLN will need to expand infrastructure while ensuring that new data center clusters outside Java can receive reliable and, where required, renewable power.

The utility said it aims to support the expansion of Indonesia’s AI and digital economy ecosystem by strengthening electricity infrastructure and developing green energy solutions and services tailored to data center operators.

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