After Sunset No Longer Means Shutdown: Power Reaches Indonesia’s Last-Mile Villages

For communities long beyond the reach of the national grid, reliable electricity is quietly reshaping daily life—turning what was once a distant promise into a lived reality.

As evening settles over rural eastern Indonesia, life no longer slows to a halt. Children finish homework under steady electric lights. Small shops stay open after sunset. Families gather around fans that bring relief from the heat.

For communities long beyond the reach of the national grid, reliable electricity is quietly reshaping daily life—turning what was once a distant promise into a lived reality.

When Daily Life Used to End at Dusk

Indonesia is close to achieving universal electricity access, yet geography has left pockets of remote villages in the dark. In these last-mile regions, sunset once marked the end of productive hours, limiting education, income, and access to basic services.

That is now changing.

In Wontong village on Flores Island, electricity has become a foundation for opportunity. Parents speak of safer evening study for their children. Health workers point to reliable refrigeration for medicines and vaccines. Small businesses report longer hours and more predictable income.

Electricity, residents say, has changed how time is used—and who benefits from it. For women and children in particular, access to power has improved safety, learning, and household well-being.

Powering New Livelihoods

For Hendrikus Marsoni, who runs a small kiosk in Wontong, electricity opened doors that never existed before.

“With electricity now available, I have expanded my business to include document typing, laminating services and electricity token sales,” he said. What were once impossible services are now new income streams—and conveniences for the wider community.

Stories like Hendrikus’s are playing out across eastern Indonesia as villages gain access to dependable power.

A Clean Energy Path to Universal Access

At the center of this transformation is Indonesia’s Sustainable Least-Cost Electrification (ISLE) program, supported by the World Bank. Working with the Government of Indonesia and state utility PLN, the program is extending affordable, reliable electricity to regions long constrained by distance and terrain.

ISLE finances last-mile grid connections, network upgrades, and solar deployment, while strengthening planning to ensure systems remain resilient and cost-effective. The goal: connect more than 5.5 million people and integrate 1.2 gigawatts of solar and wind into the national grid.

The program is backed by the Sustainable Renewables Risk Mitigation Initiative (SRMI) under the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), alongside a coalition of international partners. Technical assistance has helped Indonesia align electrification plans with long-term energy security and climate goals, while keeping costs manageable.

Innovative Finance, Real-World Impact

The World Bank’s support for ISLE also reflects a shift in how electrification is financed. By combining pioneering instruments such as the Step-Up Loan mechanism and the Framework for Financial Incentives (FFI), the program demonstrates how innovative finance can accelerate access while supporting inclusive growth.

Additional funding comes from the Canada Clean Energy and Forest Climate Facility, the Clean Technology Fund, the Green Climate Fund (SRMI-Resilience), and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office through ESMAP.

“Through our support for Indonesia’s Sustainable Least-Cost Electrification Program, Canada is helping scale solutions that deliver reliable electricity at lower cost while strengthening climate resilience,” said Maria Ramirez, First Secretary at the Embassy of Canada to Indonesia. “It’s an example of climate finance driving inclusive growth.”

Communities at the Center

Community engagement is a defining feature of ISLE’s approach. Residents work with PLN to set priorities, manage connections, and ensure infrastructure meets real needs—from households and kiosks to schools and health posts.

“The community response has been very positive,” said Faisal, a PLN solar plant operator. “By providing power, the technology is helping improve our local economy.”

Progress Made—And the Road Ahead

Indonesia’s vision of universal, sustainable electrification remains ambitious. Reaching the most remote villages, ensuring long-term affordability, and integrating higher shares of renewable energy will require continued investment and institutional capacity.

But ISLE shows what is possible when smart planning, innovative finance, and community partnership come together. For families now able to rely on electricity each evening, the impact is immediate. For Indonesia, it marks another step toward a future where development, resilience, and clean energy advance hand in hand.