A/Prof. Fengshi Wu1, Ms Alya Triska Sutrisno1
1UNSW Sydney, Kensington, Australia
Biography:
Alya Triska Sutrisno is a PhD student at the School of Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney. Her dissertation focuses on energy transition and environmental justice in Indonesia.
Fengshi Wu is an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, UNSW Sydney.
Abstract:
Against the background of the global energy transition, the Indonesian government has embarked on large-scale clean energy projects, which include the development of technology-intensive downstream industries in battery production, energy storage, and EV car production. This research investigates the evolving political dynamics across local governments, businesses, and communities centred on mining in southern Sumatra as a result of rapid energy policy shifts, flows of both domestic and transnational capital, and societal responses. On the one hand, there are ongoing re-alignments between political power, economic interests, and social connections surrounding mineral mining. On the other hand, we observe many “old” patterns of clientelism, identity politics, and social mobilization that have roots in the traditional primary industry in the local economy – coal. Based on the preliminary research in southern Sumatra, this research challenges the assumption that energy transition will overtake existing energy structures and, more importantly, the politics around energy in Indonesia. Instead, we argue that in the foreseeable future, coal and coal politics will continue to exist with green energy industries in Indonesia. Similar patterns might be found beyond Indonesia and more developing countries that have had a long history of mining industries.