REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government said it maintains its target to build new power plants with a total capacity of 35,000 megawatts until 2019 is set in the National Energy General Plan (RUEN). "It was already decided in RUEN. Although it is not easy the president and the vice president decided to maintain the target," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said after a limited cabinet meeting here on Thursday.

Pramono said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President M Jusuf Kalla led two limited cabinet meetings on Thursday -- plenary meeting of the National Energy Council (DEN) and sea toll and air bridge meeting.

He said the DEN plenary meeting discussed RUEN and expansion of the use of renewable energy . "As for RUEN, the president has approved and hopefully a presidential regulation would be issued this week," Pramono said in a news conference also attended by Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.

Pramono said even if the national power utility PLN and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry believe the realization would not be more than 20,000-22,000 MW, the president continued to maintain the 35,000 MW electricity target.

Pramono also said that Indonesia already ratified the international agreement on renewable energy that the country is bound by the agreement. "In 2017, although based on estimate our renewable energy ratio could reach only 7 percent, the target is set at 11 percent to be raised to 25 percent in 2025," he said.

Pramono said the president has asked the ESDM ministry and DEN to prepare a blue print that Indonesia would not depend only on fossil energy but would begin to use renewable energy .

Earlier President Jokowi said the 35,000 MW electricity program is not only target but also requirement. "I think it would not be a problem in case of surplus in capacity provided that it would be too big," the president said.

Jokowi said currently Indonesia's power consumption is relatively low at 917 Kwh in 2015 below Vietnam's 1,715 Kwh even Singapore's 9,146 Kwh. "If we want to boost development all over the country we would need larger supply of power," he said.

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