During the Dark Sumatran, PLN Must Be Bright

Friday night, May 22, 2026, a number of areas in Sumatra were dark. In Padangsidimpuan, residents flocked to look for candles. But candles are actually scarce.

On the other side of the city, a drinks stall is filled with young people. Not for hanging out. They take turns charging their cellphones and finding internet access through WiFi powered by a generator.

In Medan, as reported by Kompas, the situation is different again. Hotels are full. Many residents choose to stay to get electricity and air conditioning.

Blackout or mass power outages in Sumatra show that electricity is not just a matter of cables, substations, and power plants. Electricity is the pulse of daily life.

When the electricity goes out en masse, it's not just comfort that is disrupted. What is also disrupted is economic activity, communication, public services, and people's sense of security.

PLN said the initial indication of the disruption came from the 275 kV Muara Bungo-Sungai Rumbai transmission system in Jambi. The disruption was allegedly influenced by the weather, then triggered a domino effect on the Sumatra electricity system. The impact is big. As many as 13.1 million customers are affected.

As of Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 19.00 WIB, more than 8.5 million customers are said to have returned to enjoy electricity. The recovered load reached 3,431.21 MW from a total of 5,334 MW. A total of 176 main substations were also declared back in operation.

That's good news. But it's not enough. The size of PLN's success should not stop at the sentence that the electricity has been turned back on. In a public service as important as electricity, the most important question arises after life. Why can the disturbance spread so widely?

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo has apologized. Field officers are also working to restore the system. They deserve appreciation. But an apology is not a substitute for an audit. The hard work of technicians is not an excuse to cover up the weaknesses of the system.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources stated that it would ensure that a thorough technical investigation was carried out. The government also asked PLN to strengthen the backbone or main backbone of the Sumatra electricity system. The government also asked for the construction of 500 kV/275 kV power plants and transmission to be accelerated, strengthening the subsystems in each province, and preparing the blackstart infrastructure, a system for gradually restarting the power grid after a total blackout.

This statement is important. But at the same time it opens up serious questions. This widespread disruption shows that Sumatra's electricity system still has weak points that must be immediately corrected. The government itself is asking for the strengthening of the main network, regional subsystems, and emergency recovery systems so that similar disruptions do not spread again.

Bad weather can be a trigger. However, modern electrical systems should be designed to minimize the impact of weather disturbances. Public infrastructure as important as electricity should not be easily paralyzed just because of one transmission disturbance.

The Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police has descended to inspect the point of breaking the SUTET 175-176 conductor in Tempino Village, Muaro Jambi. The provisional results have not found any indication of human intention. The evidence was taken to the PLN Research and Development Center for further examination.

The step is necessary. However, the absence of intentional elements does not automatically mean that there is no negligence. It could be that there was no sabotage. But it still has to be checked starting from the age of the network, maintenance schedule, protection system, backup readiness, and procedure for isolating disturbances.

The big blackout is not only a technical matter. It is also a matter of governance. Therefore, the results of the investigation should not stop at the official table. It must be opened to the public. Affected citizens have the right to know the main cause. The business world has the right to certainty. Customers have the right to know the form of compensation. The state is obliged to ensure that similar events do not recur.

PLN is a state-owned company. It holds a very dominant role in providing national electricity. Precisely because of that, PLN should not just ask the public to believe without opening the real issues. People pay for electricity. The state gives a mandate. Then accountability, that is, responsibility that can be checked and accounted for to the public, must be as bright as the promised service.

"We are not looking for a scapegoat. What must be sought is the root of the problem. If the cable is broken, replace the cable. If the protection system is weak, fix it. If the planning is fragile, dismantle the way it works. If the problem is governance, fix it from the top.

Electricity in Sumatra may have been turned on. But the country's work is not yet complete. A modern nation is not judged by how quickly officials apologize when the lights go out. He is judged by the courage to open up mistakes, improve the system, provide adequate compensation, and protect the people from becoming victims again.