The morning mist clung gently to the hills of Jayapura, Indonesia, as Jonatan Awi Nero, a senior official at Papua’s Energy Office, sipped his coffee and reviewed the latest figures on the region’s energy demand and supply. The official energy plan projected that by 2025, renewable energy would account for less than 2% of Papua’s energy mix. “Such a low target clearly undervalues Papua’s potential and resources,” Jonatan added.  

At the time, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) was supporting Indonesia’s energy transition through its Renewable Energy – Accelerated Transition/RE-ACT program, with funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. RE-ACT is a multi-year program that supports Indonesia in accelerating its renewable energy transition by improving the renewable energy (RE) ecosystem through evidence-based policy processes, strengthening RE modelling capabilities, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. During the period, the RE-ACT team had just wrapped up a technical consultation with local stakeholders in Papua. As the reports, charts, and numbers were unpacked, the RE–ACT team saw something that could not be ignored: Papua could aim much higher.  

The Invincible Potential

A view of Merauke’s coastal area, Papua.

The old regional energy plan portrayed Papua as a net exporter of fossil fuels, yet the province had no oil refineries and no Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facilities. Most of its fuel was imported, not exported. More troubling still, what Papua did have – sunlight streaming over its highlands, rivers rushing through dense forest, and a quiet wealth of biomass – barely registered in the projection.  

RE-ACT found that what was missing was a way to frame that potential. “We tried different ways to understand how our local partners perceived renewable energy (RE). We found that RE was not on the stakeholders’ radar, as they just view energy as business without a clear boundary between RE and non-RE. So, we try to help them see problems differently,” said Marco Wattimena, of the RE-ACT team. For him, RE was an invisible point, overlooked simply because stakeholders lacked prior knowledge or awareness.  

“Meaningful policies are also limited. This highlights the urgent need for a more structured, inclusive approach,” said Setiadji, an energy expert from Cenderawasih University, Papua. RE-ACT then embarked on the collaboration works, including with local government agencies, experts, universities, and local/indigenous communities. RE-ACT’s role was not simply to evaluate the data used for energy planning previously. It was to help equip the province with a clearer lens, a stronger narrative, and the technical insight to imagine an energy future that was both realistic and transformative.  

Building Local Ownership 

Workshop on the establishment of the Papua Provincial Regional Energy Forum in Jayapura.

At this critical juncture, RE-ACT deployed a technical expert to lead the rollout of the energy scenario modelling. By working side by side with local actors, the expert helped co-develop scenarios grounded in Papua’s specific context. This support ensured that the modelling process was not only technically sound but also locally owned and responsive to evolving policy needs.  

Regulatory-wise, the Government of Indonesia mandates each province to develop a Regional Energy Plan (Rencana Umum Energi Daerah / RUED). RUED serves as a critical mechanism for aligning provincial energy strategies with the National Energy Plan (RUEN). In this case, RE-ACT aimed to enable selected provinces, including Papua, to adopt more inclusive, evidence-based approaches to regional energy transitions, with a strong emphasis on renewable energy integration, data quality, and stakeholder ownership, which were done through the RUED initiative. The approach was that RUED was not merely a technical fix but a strategic route to energy independence.  

Indonesia requires each province to develop a Regional Energy Plan (RUED). Still, in Papua, RE-ACT approached this not merely as a technical task, but as a chance to build local ownership. By working closely with provincial planners, academics, and community representatives, the project helped dismantle energy modelling and gave stakeholders a clearer view of their own renewable energy potential. “Across the actors involved, their eyes were opened,” Jonatan said. “They began to see that renewable energy is not just a policy target, it is Papua’s opportunity. Being part of the process gave them a sense of ownership over the province’s energy future,” he added. 

As collaborative works evolved, the RUED gained traction among stakeholders. What began as a modelling effort evolved into a broader energy vision by local partners. Over time, through one discussion after another and guided by persistent facilitation, RE-ACT and its technical expert team carefully unpacked the alternative energy modelling for Papua, line by line, assumption by assumption.  

The local energy stakeholders acknowledged that the refined model gave them a clearer, more compelling vision. Outdated assumptions, such as the reliance on large-scale fossil fuel exports, were left behind. In their place, realistic domestic energy flows and six bold renewable energy interventions emerged: biomass co-firing, ammonia co-firing, a 113.85 Megawatt de-dieselization program with solar power, hydrogen use in industries, electric vehicle expansion, and micro-hydro development. Local partners referred to it as the “Papua-GGGI Alternatives Scenario.”  

From Modelling to Movement 

Yet before any of this began, RE-ACT laid the groundwork. At Cenderawasih University, a diverse group of planners and local officials gathered for hands-on training on alternative energy modelling. Until then, the energy modelling had lived mostly in the hands of technical compilers. But through this early capacity-building effort, it became common ground. Participants gained not just technical familiarity, but also knowledge and confidence. So when the time came to build the new RUED, they didn’t sit on the sidelines; they contributed.  

By the time Papua’s stakeholders were ready to develop their new RUED, they had the confidence. This was possible because RE-ACT had already laid the groundwork months earlier. At Cenderawasih University, planners, academics, and local officials came together for hands-on training in alternative energy modelling. Previously, this modelling work had been limited to a small group of technical compilers, but the training opened it up to a wider circle. So, when the RUED process began, stakeholders didn’t sit back; they stepped forward and contributed with a sense of ownership. 

The training seeded ownership and gave rise to a more inclusive, locally driven energy planning process. “The RUED document helps address national targets and address regional energy needs. A best-case scenario was established involving relevant stakeholders, including women and indigenous communities. We have established the de-dieselization of (fossil-based) power plants and their replacement with environmentally friendly sources,” as Jonatan said.  

A New Energy Vision for Papua

GGGI and the Papua Provincial Government mark their collaboration to advance renewable energy development in Papua.

Eventually, the hard work paid off. Renewable energy (RE) is now planned to rise to 26% of Papua’s energy mix by 2025, up from 19.6% in the previous plan. By 2050, it is projected to reach nearly 70% of the RE mix. Dependency on imported fuels is set to fall significantly, and green jobs are expected to achieve a workforce of 28,000. “For the first time, energy policies felt rooted both in data and in dignity shaped through our collaborative process that brought stakeholders together,” said Setiaji.  

RE-ACT helped align and facilitate dialogues between government agencies, parliamentarians, and technical experts. More than a presentation of findings, it was a process of knowledge transfer and trust-building: evidence translated into collective knowledge that transformed confidence. The model eventually moved into the political stage, whereby mid 2025, the new draft of RUED became one of the priority regulations to be processed by Papua’s parliament.  

These days, every morning when the sun rises over the hills of Jayapura, Jonatan looks ahead with optimism. “At last,” he says, “we now have an energy policy and planning which truly reflects our potential.”