MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM – A blackout is far more than just a power outage. Large-scale electricity disruptions always trigger chain reactions that affect social, economic, and even governmental stability. When electricity stops flowing, communication networks are disrupted, transportation systems are paralyzed, hospitals operate under extreme pressure, commercial centers come to a standstill, industries lose productivity, and the public loses its sense of security. In the digital era, electricity has become the lifeblood of modern civilization. Major disruptions in this sector also disrupt the rhythm of national life.
Indonesia has a long history of blackouts. In 2005, the Java-Bali power system experienced a major disruption caused by transmission damage. In 2019, another blackout paralyzed Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and parts of Central Java. Jakarta's MRT stopped operating, telecommunications networks were disrupted, and economic activities were severely affected. More than 21 million customers were impacted. At the time, Indonesia's Ministry of Energy stated that a disturbance in the Ungaran–Pemalang transmission line was one of the main causes of the crisis. In 2021, several regions in Sumatra again experienced massive power outages. In 2026, another blackout struck parts of Sumatra's power system, once again raising public concerns about the resilience of the national grid.
Small Disturbances Turning Into Major Crises
Read Also: LBH Medan Demands Compensation After 24-Hour Power Outage in North Sumatra These incidents reveal a recurring pattern: minor technical disruptions evolve into large-scale crises. This condition can no longer be viewed as an ordinary technical issue. The frequency of blackouts indicates structural weaknesses in Indonesia's national electricity policy.
Energy economist from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Fahmy Radhi, stated in 2019 that the Java-Bali blackout exposed weaknesses in the reserve and risk mitigation systems of the national power grid. According to him, energy security is not measured solely by the size of power generation capacity, but by the system's ability to isolate and manage disruptions quickly. This criticism remains relevant today. Indonesia's electricity system continues to appear vulnerable to sudden disturbances. Once a transmission line fails, domino effects rapidly spread across multiple regions.
The primary issue in Indonesia's electricity sector is not merely a shortage of power generation. For years, the government has built new power plants and increased electrification rates. However, expanding generation capacity alone does not guarantee system stability. The key to preventing blackouts lies in transmission infrastructure, protection systems, reserve capacity, and digital monitoring.
Urgent Reform of the National Electricity System
Read Also: Multieffect of the Sumatra Blackout Industrialized nations have long understood this principle. Countries such as Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United States rely on intelligent power grids equipped with real-time digital monitoring. Minor disturbances are immediately isolated before they escalate into widespread blackouts. Indonesia still faces major challenges in this area. Much of the national grid continues to operate using conventional approaches with heavy dependence on centralized systems.
The Indonesian Engineers Association warned in 2019 about the need to modernize protection systems and strengthen risk mitigation following the Java-Bali blackout. According to the association, large-scale blackouts should not be treated as ordinary technical problems because their impacts directly affect economic stability and national security. Nevertheless, blackouts of varying scales continue to occur. This raises a serious question: Are the root causes truly being thoroughly analyzed, or are evaluations merely becoming formal administrative routines after each crisis?
Political observer from Universitas Trisakti, Trubus Rahadiansyah, stated in 2025 that recurring blackouts require a comprehensive evaluation of Indonesia's national electricity system, particularly in transmission management and crisis response. In his view, repeated outages occur due to weak preparedness systems for strategic infrastructure. This assessment highlights the core issue: Indonesia's energy infrastructure development has too often focused on project expansion rather than system resilience.
Modern Energy Security Must Become a National Priority
Read Also: Power Blackout: Who Is Responsible? The future presents even greater challenges. Indonesia is rapidly evolving into a digital economy. Data centers are expanding, automated industries are growing, and electric vehicles are becoming increasingly important. All of these developments require a stable and uninterrupted electricity supply.
A large-scale blackout in a strategic industrial zone or national data center would have severe consequences. Digital financial systems could fail, economic activities could come to a halt, production chains could be disrupted, and investor confidence could sharply decline. In this context, a blackout is no longer merely a technical issue for the state electricity company, but a direct threat to national competitiveness.
In 2026, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation urged the state-owned electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara to strengthen risk mitigation and establish a more reliable grid protection system to prevent future blackouts. The economic losses caused by widespread outages are enormous: businesses lose revenue, industries suffer production declines, public services are disrupted, and social activities are interrupted.
Therefore, blackouts should be understood as a national warning signal. Indonesia needs deep reforms in its electricity policy. These include independent and transparent audits of the national transmission system, massive investments in AI-based smart grid technologies, and the development of decentralized energy systems and local microgrids. Modern countries no longer focus solely on repairing systems after outages occur, but on preventive maintenance systems capable of detecting threats before the grid collapses.
Read Also: PHR Zone 1 Strengthens Energy Security for Eid al-Fitr 1447 H The recurring blackouts send a clear message about the fragility of Indonesia's strategic infrastructure. The country too often focuses on symbols of progress while neglecting the foundations that sustain it. Skyscrapers, industrial zones, digital transformation, and electric vehicles all ultimately depend on one essential requirement: a stable electricity supply.
Without energy security, Indonesia's ambition to become a modern economic power will remain merely a political slogan. Blackouts should therefore serve as a national wake-up call to build a more resilient, transparent, adaptive, and future-oriented electricity system. The public no longer expects normative promises, but concrete evidence that the state is truly capable of preventing future darkness. (IDNC)
By Dr. Farid Wajdi, S.H., M.Hum
The author is the Founder of Ethics of Care, a former member of the Judicial Commission of Indonesia (2015–2020), and a lecturer at Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra (UMSU).