Jakarta, 4 November 2025 – As of 2026, President Prabowo will risk 156,000 premature deaths and economic losses of USD 109 billion (Rp1,813 quadrillion) from the cumulative operational calculations of the 20 most dangerous coal-fired power plants until 2050. The research highlights one year of Prabowo's leadership where there is no visible significant action to realize his global climate commitment to retire coal-fired power plants and 100% renewable energy in the next 10 years.

The serious stakes are revealed in a new report by CREA, Celios, and Trend Asia, titled "Toxic Twenty: A Blacklist of the 20 Most Dangerous Coal-Fired Power Plants in Indonesia," launched today in Jakarta. The research compiles a list of coal-fired power plants in Indonesia, taking into account their emissions, health and environmental impacts, and economic losses to both the community and the country.

The analysis of pollution dispersion on public health resulting from fossil fuel combustion at coal-fired power plants includes premature births, low birth weight, emergency room visits, childhood asthma, stroke, years spent with disabilities, work absence, and premature death. This impact calculation starts from the historical cumulative impact (2000-2025) and the future cumulative projection (2026-2050).

"Recently, we've been hearing news about an increase in the number of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Jakarta by 2025. One of the causes of this is transboundary pollutant contamination from coal-fired power plants near Jakarta. Indonesia's reliance on coal-fired power plants not only poses health risks to the entire community but also burdens the economy in the long term and undermines commitments to the energy transition and national climate targets," said Katherine Hasan, an analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

The planned retirement of coal-fired power plants (PLTU) as stipulated in Ministerial Regulation (Permen) No. 10 of 2025 concerning the energy roadmap for the electricity sector will not prevent Indonesia from the deadly risks of coal combustion. The regulation is optional, not mandated to save the climate and society, but rather dependent on funding assistance. A high-emission energy mix, claimed to be renewable, only prolongs the lifespan of dirty power plants.

Research on 20 PLTUs in the Sumatra, Java and Bali networks also revealed The country's future annual economic losses will reach IDR 52.4 trillion and the aggregate reduction in people's income will be IDR 48.4 trillion. Research conducted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method reveals that the Prabowo-Gibran administration's sweet promise of 19 million will be even further from reality. This research found that as many as 1.45 million workers would be lost if the 20 most dangerous coal-fired power plants continued to operate.This is an accumulation of the erosion of suburban agricultural land, plantations and fisheries which contain environmental pollution.

The presence of the PLTU not only has a negative macro impact on the economy, but also destroys the economy in strategic sectors that have been the livelihood of residents.

"In addition to resulting in high rates of absenteeism from work, The presence of the PLTU resulted in 1.45 million workers losing their jobs"They mostly come from the agriculture, plantation, and fisheries sectors due to environmental pollution. This is ironic, because the Prabowo-Gibran administration promised to create 19 million jobs, but in reality, the government is eliminating the community's economic resources," said Atina Rizqiana, a researcher from Celios.

This research also revealed that early retirement of coal-fired power plants could actually save potential state losses. This research also encourages investors to recognize that coal-fired power plant construction is not only a financially damaging venture but also detrimental to the environment and public health.

"In the midst of a challenging economic situation, early retirement of coal-fired power plants (PLTU) is a solution to save the state's finances. The potential impact of premature deaths and economic losses is not just a series of numbers; the citizens who are victims of the presence of coal-fired power plants are real. Financing countries and the government must stop offering false solutions to delay coal-fired power plant retirements and instead truly implement a just and sustainable energy transition," concluded Novita Indri Pratiwi, Energy Campaigner for Trend Asia.

At the launch of this research, the research team had extended an invitation to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to provide feedback on the study, but no confirmation of attendance was received until the event itself. This is despite the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources being one of the ministries that plays a crucial role in planning the retirement of coal-fired power plants.

Kesaksian warga: “Nelayan menjadi komunitas paling terdampak atas kehadiran PLTU Pangkalan Susu karena limbah air bahang yang dibuang ke laut. Kami sebagai nelayan di Pangkalan Susu terpaksa beralih profesi karena sudah tidak bisa melaut. Saya sekarang menjadi buruh bangunan. Selain mata pencaharian kami yang hilang, PLTU Pangkalan Susu juga mengakibatkan gatal-gatal di kulit. Kami ingin PLTU ditutup karena itu membunuh masyarakat,”

Dedy Susanto, Nelayan Pangkalan Susu, Sumatera Utara

“Kami warga Mekarsari, Indramayu berjuang menolak PLTU sampai sekarang. Di desa kami telah berdiri PLTU 1 Indramayu dan direncanakan ada PLTU 2 yang sampai sekarang masih kami tolak hingga Jepang mengundurkan diri sebagai pendana. Pemerintah itu sebenarnya mengetahui soal dampak PLTU, karena kami sudah pernah ke Istana untuk menyampaikan masalah kami. PLTU membawa dampak kesehatan akibat polusi udara, selain itu pertanian kami yang mulanya mudah dikelola menjadi sulit dikelola. Dulu di sana tumbuh subur pohon kelapa, tapi sekarang tidak ada yang bisa tumbuh. Namun pemerintah melihat kondisi warga seperti ini, bukannya menutup PLTU malah sekarang mencampur batubara dengan serbuk kayu,”

Ahmad Yani, warga desa Mekarsari, Indramayu, Jawa Barat

“Keberadaan PLTU Cilacap membawa dampak kesehatan bagi warga Winong, Cilacap.

Akibatnya dampak kesehatan ini, beberapa warga Winong memutuskan untuk pindah rumah karena sudah tidak mampu membayar biaya kesehatan. PLTU Cilacap juga membawa dampak ekonomi bagi nelayan. Kalau dulu di 2018, para nelayan masih ada pendapatan dari hasil melaut, sekarang TPI ditutup. Kami di Winong, tidak bisa mengakses pesisir karena abrasi dan banyak rumah warga tenggelam. Pada akhirnya, warga yang menolak kehadiran PLTU terpaksa menjual rumahnya ke PLTU daripada rumahnya semakin tenggelam,”

Novi, Warga Desa Winong, Cilacap, Jawa Tengah

“Kami warga Nagan, Aceh terpaksa pindah dari rumah kami yang mulanya 500 meter dari PLTU, berpindah ke lokasi yang terletak 3 kilometer dari PLTU karena lingkungan yang tidak layak ditinggali. Anak-anak terkena asma dan penyakit gatal-gatal, ada juga yang batuk-batuk. Selain masalah kesehatan, hasil pertanian kami sudah tidak seperti dulu lagi. Sebenarnya pertanyaan kami ke pemerintah, kalau PLTU ini dibangun untuk ketenagalistrikan, mengapa kami warga yang berada di sekitar PLTU tidak mendapatkan listrik?”

Darna, desa Nagan Raya, Aceh