New Energy Nexus (NEX) Indonesia organized NEX STEP XChange, the third series of this initiative. This initiative aims to encourage young people to actively participate in advancing the energy transition, especially as 82% of youth are increasingly aware of climate change (Indikator Politik Indonesia and Yayasan Indonesia Cerah).
New Energy Nexus Indonesia, in collaboration with the Society of Renewable Energy at Universitas Indonesia (SRE UI) and the Manpower, Transmigration, and Energy (TKTE) Agency of Jakarta’s Special Capital Region, successfully held the third series of NEX STEP XChange. Hosted at Universitas Indonesia, the event featured a Policy Case Competition and a Policy Workshop. These activities aimed to facilitate dialogue and develop comprehensive ideas and policy solutions to address real-world energy transition challenges in Jakarta’s Special Capital Region.
The Policy Workshop, themed ‘Policy Drafting as the Foundation of the Energy Transition System in Jakarta,’ began with presentations by Ayiful Ramadhan Asit, Head of the Renewable Energy Division at Jakarta’s TKTE Department, and Muhammad Ziaulhaq Syafahri, Policy Analyst at New Energy Nexus Indonesia.
Ayiful Ramadhan Asit, Head of the Renewable Energy Division at Jakarta’s Department of Manpower, Electricity, and Energy, opened the session with a presentation on the plans, targets, and implementation processes for renewable energy in Jakarta. He also outlined several programs already undertaken by the Jakarta TKTE Agency, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that can be leveraged to accelerate renewable energy adoption. Ayiful emphasized the importance of involving various stakeholders, particularly young people, to support the energy transition in Jakarta.
Attended by over 65 young participants, the session was filled with enthusiasm as they engaged in presentations and case study practices led by Muhammad Ziaulhaq Syafahri, Policy Analyst at New Energy Nexus Indonesia. This time, participants were invited to gain deeper insights into the policy-making process in Indonesia, with a focus on the importance of youth participation in the energy transition. Additionally, Ziaulhaq explained several frameworks for policy analysis, including problem identification, solution development, and simulation creation.
“I’m very glad there was a discussion session with the facilitators, which truly guided us in developing a framework for addressing a problem. We learned how to break down the involvement of each actor and understand how Jakarta can achieve its emission targets. Additionally, we were able to examine the issues faced by the stakeholders, analyze the problem, identify its root causes, and seek solutions based on the provided case studies,” stated a student from Universitas Indonesia.
The series of events for the third NEX STEP XChange in Jakarta concluded with the final round of the Policy Case Competition. This competition attracted 32 teams from various universities in Jakarta, Depok, Bekasi, and Tangerang. In the final round, five teams were selected to present their solution papers, which had been prepared in advance.
Based on the judges’ evaluations, the winner of the competition was The Debutants from Universitas Indonesia. The following positions were awarded to Good Governance from Universitas Indonesia (1st Runner-Up), Brussels from Universitas Indonesia (2nd Runner-Up), Catalyst Group from Universitas Indonesia (3rd Runner-Up), and Brussels from Universitas Indonesia (Best Presentation).
Here are four innovative recommendations put forward by the finalists regarding policies in the clean technology sector in Jakarta’s Special Capital Region:
Feasibility Analysis and PESTLE Analysis in Policy Evaluation
“We proposed policy steps using FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) feasibility analyses, which involve a collaborative analysis system and the harmonization of energy policies to improve alignment between central and regional regulations. This includes an integrative and transformative funding system to address financial challenges through blended finance schemes and both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, as well as an education and promotion system for sustainable energy to raise public awareness,” stated M. Syafiq Zufarulhaq, the team leader of The Debutants from Universitas Indonesia, winner of the Policy Case Competition at NEX STEP XChange in Jakarta.
“We also recognize the significant funding potential from Zakat, Infaq, and Sedekah (ZIS) as a source of philanthropic funding, which could amount to IDR 27 trillion that can be allocated to finance the clean energy sector,” he added.
Policy for the Adoption of Plasma Gasification Technology
“We examined the energy issues in Jakarta’s through the lens of the government’s low commitment to addressing waste problems. We propose the creation of a policy for adopting plasma gasification technology for urban waste management in Jakarta, aiming to convert waste into syngas renewable fuels. The policy recommendations are assessed from legal, economic, social, and behavioral perspectives, which we articulated through a SWOT analysis and stakeholder mapping,” said Dwina Fitriani Dharmawan, the team leader of Good Governance from Universitas Indonesia.
Five Key Goals for the Implementation of 200 MW Solar Power Plants
The Brussels team, representing Universitas Indonesia, also put forward different recommendations and successfully secured the 2nd Runner-Up position, as well as the Best Presenter category.
“We focus on highlighting policy issues related to renewable energy through the adoption of rooftop solar power systems in households across Jakarta. A dynamic system model is simulated to generate scenarios for achieving the Jakarta government’s target of 200 MW of installed solar power capacity by 2050. This target must be met through five objectives: social awareness and education, open access to financing, simplification of licensing and regulations, advocacy and incentives, and short-, medium-, and long-term research and development.”
ESSA Strategy and the ‘Surya Berdaya’ App
Meanwhile, Zahhara Chairunnisa from the Catalyst Group team at Universitas Indonesia, which secured the 3rd Runner-Up position in the Policy Case Competition at NEX STEP XChange in Jakarta, shared policy solution recommendations focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction.
“We recommend solutions to enhance community participation in renewable energy development using policy instruments based on the planned behavior approach, implemented through the ESSA strategy (Education, Financing Schemes, Solar Empowerment, and Adoption Incentives). One new proposal from the Catalyst team is the development of an application called ‘Surya Berdaya,’ which can integrate the provincial government of Jakarta, the community, household solar panel installation providers, and the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) as the regulator of fiscal incentives. Through this application, the government can effectively disseminate policy updates to community members interested in using solar panels,” stated Zahhara Chairunnisa from the Catalyst Group at Universitas Indonesia, the 3rd Runner-Up in the Policy Case Competition at NEX STEP XChange in Jakarta, while discussing policy solutions from the perspective of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction.
Azzam Aulia, one of the finalists from the Debutants team in this Policy Case Competition, summarized his thoughts on the NEX STEP XChange Jakarta Policy Case Competition.
“The Policy Case Competition is a comprehensive activity. Through this event, we learn to think critically, think effectively, and adopt a solution-oriented approach to address the challenges presented in the case studies. This activity serves as a starting point for young people to contribute their fresh ideas to the formulation of energy policies.”
New Energy Nexus (NEX) Indonesia works to support youth engagement in the energy transition policy-making process. We believe that involving young people in energy transition policies is crucial for accelerating the targets for a renewable energy mix at both the national and sub-national levels. NEX STEP XChange will take place not only in Jakarta but also in West Java, East Java, Bali, Yogyakarta, and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
