President Prabowo Chairs DEN Plenary Session, Instructs Preparation for E50 to Strengthen Energy Independence

President Prabowo Subianto chaired a plenary session of the National Energy Council (Dewan Energi Nasional/DEN) at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday (9/17). The first 2026 plenary session of DEN discussed several strategic steps to ensure national energy security and sufficiency amid the global geopolitical dynamics.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, in a press statement after the plenary session, stated that the meeting was chaired by the President as the chairperson of DEN. Also attending the session were Vice President Gibran Rakabuming as the vice chairperson of DEN and all members of DEN, from government sectors and other related stakeholders.

One of the main highlights of the plenary session was ensuring that national energy availability remains secure amid global geopolitical dynamics. Bahlil stated that, based on the discussion in the plenary session, current fuel stocks and national reserves stand at 18 to 20 days.

“The plenary session discussed our mitigation in response to global geopolitical conditions and to ensure that national energy availability remains secure. In the plenary session, we also discussed and received directives from the President to ensure the availability of our fuel stocks, and our national reserves stand at 18 to 20 days. So, alhamdulillah, it’s clear,” stated Bahlil.

In addition to ensuring short-term national energy availability, President Prabowo also gave directives to strengthen long-term energy independence. One of them is to prepare for the development of E50 following the Government’s implementation of the B50 biodiesel program.

According to Bahlil, this policy is directed at strengthening Indonesia’s ability to fulfill domestic fuel demand, where the consumption of current national solar reaches around 39 million kiloliters per year, while the consumption of fuel is around 39 to 40 million kiloliters per year.

The effort to strengthen national energy availability will also be conducted through the production of oil and natural gas. The Government will accelerate large-scale exploration of oil basins and blocks while optimizing existing producing wells through the utilization of technology.

“The President also orders supervision of 45,000 people’s oil wells (sumur minyak rakyat) and to manage them professionally. There must be no violations or diversion for sale elsewhere,” stated Bahlil.

In the plenary session, President Prabowo also highlighted the importance of synergy among the Government, academics, and business actors in formulating national energy policy. Collaboration among these three stakeholders is considered important to answer Indonesia’s energy needs in the long term.

“Among other things, the President also instructed us that we must establish good cooperation among academics, business actors, and the Government in formulating energy policies going forward,” Bahlil said.

The meeting also discussed the draft of the Oil and Gas Act (RUU Migas). According to Bahlil, the report from DEN outlined plans to strengthen the institutional framework for the governance of the oil and gas sector, which would be placed directly under the President.

“Equally important was the President’s instruction regarding the draft Oil and Gas Act, as reported by the DEN. We will strengthen the institution, which will be placed directly under the President. As the relevant technical minister, we will carry out the directives given by the President,” concluded Bahlil. (Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of the Presidential Secretariat) (TC/AW)