Fossil fuels, especially coal and oil, remain the largest contributors to the national energy mix. The use of these energy sources is widely recognized as one of the main drivers of the climate crisis.
Today, the global community is pushing countries to shift toward clean energy to reduce the impacts of climate change. In Indonesia, clean energy–based power generation has actually seen meaningful development.
Although its contribution to the national energy mix is still relatively limited, these efforts demonstrate a serious commitment to supporting the energy transition agenda. So, what clean energy sources are currently in use? Find the full explanation in this article.
What Is Clean Energy?
The terms clean energy, renewable energy, and low-carbon energy are often used interchangeably. In reality, they have fundamental differences.
Clean energy refers to energy sources that produce zero or very low carbon emissions, particularly during their operational phase.
Renewable energy, on the other hand, comes from natural resources that are replenished naturally and remain sustainably available, such as sunlight and wind. Meanwhile, low-carbon energy refers to energy sources with significantly lower emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels like coal.
The core characteristic of clean energy is not merely being “green,” but also ensuring long-term sustainability and minimal environmental impact. This principle underpins today’s global energy transition policies.
Read More: Still Confused in Identifying Renewable Energy Traits? Here’s the Truth!
What Clean Energy Sources Are Currently in Use?
The utilization of clean energy plays a vital role in achieving decarbonization targets. For this reason, the world currently relies on several energy sources considered relevant, including:
Solar Energy
Solar energy works by harnessing sunlight through photovoltaic technology (solar panels) or thermal systems. Its main advantages lie in the abundance of its resources and its near-zero operational emissions.
However, its biggest challenge is intermittency, as energy production depends heavily on weather conditions and day–night cycles. As a result, solar energy is less suitable as a baseload source for large-scale power systems.
Wind Energy
Wind turbines, both onshore and offshore, are used to capture the kinetic energy of wind and convert it into electricity with very low or nearly zero carbon emissions.
Despite its strong potential in certain regions, wind energy faces stability challenges due to fluctuating wind speeds. To remain reliable, it requires supporting systems such as robust power grids and large-scale energy storage or battery solutions.
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Hydropower
As one of the most established and widely used clean energy technologies, hydropower utilizes water flow to drive turbines. Its key advantages include relatively stable and controllable (dispatchable) output, along with low operational carbon emissions.
However, hydropower generation is highly dependent on rainfall and water flow levels, and it often sparks debate due to its potential impact on the ecosystems surrounding dam areas.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy originates from the Earth’s internal heat. Its primary advantage is its ability to function as a baseload energy source, as it is available 24 hours a day and unaffected by weather conditions.
It offers low operational carbon emissions and a highly consistent supply. Nevertheless, challenges include geographic limitations as well as relatively high initial exploration costs and risks.
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What Are the Stability Challenges of Clean Energy in the Energy Transition?
The energy transition presents serious technical challenges, particularly due to the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy. Heavy reliance on energy storage technologies also continues to face obstacles related to cost and capacity limitations.
As a result, a gap emerges between industrial demand for continuous 24-hour electricity supply and the fluctuating nature of clean energy generation.
For business and industrial sectors, energy stability is not merely a convenience. It is a critical factor in preventing equipment damage and large-scale operational losses.
Therefore, relying solely on intermittent clean energy sources remains less than ideal for ensuring power system reliability.
In practice, a combination with more stable energy sources is required. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plays this role by serving as a backup supply when clean energy production declines.
Read More: How Much Natural Gas Reserves Does Indonesia Have?
What Is the Role of LNG in the Clean Energy Transition Era?
Amid efforts to balance energy cleanliness and stability, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) has emerged as a strategic solution. LNG is natural gas that has been liquefied to enable easier storage and distribution.
Compared to clean energy sources, LNG still has a relatively higher emissions profile. However, when compared to coal, which currently dominates global energy supply, LNG produces around 40% lower carbon emissions during power generation, along with significantly lower particulate emissions.
In modern energy systems, LNG plays a vital role as both a baseload and load-following energy source. This means gas-fired power plants can quickly adjust output to balance supply when renewable energy production, such as solar and wind, suddenly declines.
This is why LNG is often referred to as a bridge energy in global energy transition strategies.
For business and industrial operations, LNG provides supply security without compromising system reliability. Its role is strategic in supporting gradual decarbonization, allowing companies to significantly reduce emissions today while maintaining productivity until clean energy technologies are fully capable of independently meeting energy demand.
References:
- IEA. Accessed in 2026. Renewables
- ScienceDirect. Accessed in 2026. Intermittency and periodicity in net-zero renewable energy systems with storage
- Kementerian ESDM. Accessed in 2026. Resmi Luncurkan IETF, Indonesia Komitmen Percepat Transisi Energi Bersih
