Addressing energy injustice in rural landscapes: Community leadership, indigenous villages, and micro-hydro diffusion in Indonesia

Jul 10, 2026

Uploaded by Finn

Rapid renewable energy development creates livelihood opportunities for rural communities near protected forests, yet limited electrification and few studies on the science-policy interface shape outcomes. This article analyzes a successful community-based renewable energy project in the indigenous village of Kasepuhan Ciptagelar in Indonesia’s Mount Halimun Salak National Park. Expert interviews and document analysis using the research-integration-utilization model identify key actors, show how combining scientific research with indigenous knowledge improves acceptance, and highlight grassroots leaders’ role in micro-hydro diffusion. A collaborative multi-level governance approach is recommended to address energy and environmental injustice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Policy context and energy transition challenges

Research aim and analytical focus

Study setting: Kasepuhan Ciptagelar micro-hydro development

Energy Research & Social Science 85 (2022) 102395 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Energy Research & Social Science journal [homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/erss](homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/erss) | Addressing energy injustice in rural landscapes: Community leadership, indigenous villages, and micro-hydro diffusion in Indonesia
Santi Pratiwia, b, *, Nataly Juergesa
a Chair Group of Forest and Nature Conservation Policy, Georg-August-University G¨ottingen, Büsgenweg 3, 37077 G¨ottingen, Germany
b Nature Conservation Office of Central Java, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Jl. Solo Gawok, Baki, Sukoharjo, 57556 Central Java, Indonesia | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | | Keywords:
Micro-hydro An indigenous village Scientific support Energy injustice Community leadership | | The rapid development of renewable energy projects provides opportunities to livelihood around protected forests in rural areas. Living remotely with limited access to electrification has compelled villagers to establish renewable energy projects based on available resources. However, few studies have investigated actors’ roles atthe science-policy interface of such community-based renewable energy projects. This article describes the successful implementation of renewable energy projects in an indigenous village, Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, in Mount Halimun Salak National Park, Indonesia. Expert interviews and document analysis using the theoretical framework of the research-integration-utilization model revealed the role of various actors in the development of renewable energy projects in this indigenous village. Combining scientific research with indigenous information increased the villagers’ acceptance of and willingness towards sustainably managing micro-hydro projects. Furthermore, grassroots community leaders successfully introduced the use of micro-hydro projects. Based on these results, we suggest employing a collaborative approach involving actors at different levels of energy and forest governance (local, regional, national, and international) as a promising tool to tackle energy and environmental injustice. | | 1. Introduction Indonesia has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29% by 2030 and increase renewable energy utilization by 25% by 2025 [1,2]. The Indonesian government has introduced several renewable energy policies to realize energy transitions in their national energy plan, such as feed-in-tariff mechanisms, financial incentives, and smallscale renewable energy. However, the CO2 emission levels from electricity usage continue to increase, and progress toward renewable energy transition remains low. Regulatory and political uncertainties are the main challenges for investors, thus hindering renewable energy development [3]. Despite a 99% electricity rate, there is still an implementation gap, with 1.1% of villages that do not have access to electricity. Considering the landscape of Indonesia as an archipelago, community-based renewable energy has been recognized as an effective way to address energy injustice in remote areas [4–6]. Living remotely near the boundaries of or even within protected forests often limits villagers’ access to energy sources, especially electricity. Community-based energy is a potential pathway that can connect indigenous people to energy resources, ensuring just and locally distributed energy [7]. Nevertheless, considering the rapid growth of community-based renewable energy projects in the global south [6,8,9], there are threats such as sociopolitical dynamics, premature failure, and scrutinized impact on local communities [6]. Hence, this study aims to investigate the role of various actors and scientific support at the science-policy interface in overcoming energy injustice in the case of an indigenous village. Kasepuhan Ciptagelar is an indigenous village that successfully practices a community-based

FAQs

What problem does the study address in rural Indonesia?

The study addresses energy injustice faced by remote indigenous villages with limited access to electrification despite national renewable energy efforts.

How does the article study actor roles in the community-based energy project?

It uses expert interviews and document analysis within the research-integration-utilization framework to identify roles at the science-policy interface.

What helps villagers accept and manage micro-hydro projects sustainably?

Combining scientific research with indigenous information increases acceptance and willingness to sustainably manage micro-hydro projects.

Jul 10, 2026

Uploaded by Finn