Why Indonesia Has Yet to Sign ASEAN Power Grid Pact - Tempo.co English

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia stated that Indonesia has not yet signed the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), an integrated grid system among ASEAN member countries, because it is still negotiating electricity prices.

"The price is not yet a win-win," Bahlil said when met on the sidelines of the Electricity Connect 2026 event held in Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday.

Bahlil revealed that the government had reached out to Malaysia regarding the ASEAN Power Grid commitment, which was the result of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines.

Bahlil admitted that Indonesia has yet to sign the commitment since Indonesia has not received a fair share of the benefits. "Win-win means a win for each party, with fair profit distribution, not 70-30," he said, assuring that Indonesia will sign after a fair agreement is reached.

Nevertheless, Bahlil emphasized that no country can achieve greatness without collaboration, including regional ones such as ASEAN.

"No country is great because it's a single fighter; that's no longer the case. Collaboration also involves mutual need, mutual acceptance, and mutual giving," Bahlil said.

As previously reported, President Prabowo Subianto invited ASEAN countries to accelerate the development of an energy network, considering that energy security is a major, pressing challenge that must be addressed together due to global pressures and geopolitical instability in the Middle East.

The Head of State stated that the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region has enormous potential for developing new and renewable energy, including hydropower, solar power, and wind power, as well as fertile land that has not been optimally utilized.

This step is part of the ASEAN leaders' efforts to accelerate energy sharing mechanisms and regional electricity interconnection amid concerns about energy supply disruptions triggered by the war in the Middle East.

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