Editor-in-chief

Prof. Paul Sudnik

Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany

As the Editor-in-Chief of IJSSH, I invite you to contribute your scholarly work to our esteemed publication. The journal publishes papers which focus on the advanced researches in the field of all aspects of social science and humanity. I'll endeavour to make this journal grow better and hopefully it will become a recognized journal among researchers and scholars in related fields.

Home > Archive > 2025 > Volume 15, Number 6, 2025
IJSSH 2025 Vol.15(6): 189-193
doi: 10.18178/ijssh.2025.15.6.1263

Understanding the Energy Transition Debates in a Local Context: The Case of Dieng Geothermal Energy Development, Indonesia

Abdan Syakura*, Muhammad Ishak, and Said Khaidir
Abdan Syakura1,*, Muhammad Ishak2, and Said Khaidir1
1. Department of Politics and Government, Faculty of Social and Political Science, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2. Department of Management and Public Policy, Faculty of Social and Political Science, University Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Email: abdansyakura@mail.ugm.ac.id (A.S.); muhammadishak@mail.ugm.ac.id (M.I.); Saidkhaidir@mail.ugm.ac.id (S.K.)
*Corresponding author
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Manuscript received April 3, 2025; accepted May 29, 2025; published November 21, 2025.

Abstract—The Energy transition policy in Indonesia has sparked a discursive debate among various actors at different levels. Drawing on Maarten Hajer’s discourse coalition concept, this article analyzes the debate surrounding geothermal energy development in the Dieng Plateau, Central Java. Data were gathered from 40 news articles in local and national online media addressing geothermal energy issues in Dieng (from 2018 to 2024). Our analysis reveals two competing discourse coalitions: supporting and opposing geothermal development. Each coalition uses storylines to build its networks while attempting to weaken the opposing coalition. Although the debate was intense, the supporting coalition remained dominant in many issues and had strong networks to influence policies at both local and national levels. The opposing coalition, consisting of fewer actors, was limited to civil society networks. However, the opposing coalition achieved a moment of success when resistance to the expansion of the Dieng power plant led to protest actions, forcing the supporting coalition to relocate the development site away from residential areas. These findings offer valuable insights into how local discourse debates can shape national energy transition policies.

Keywords—geothermal energy policy, energy transition, discourse coalition, Dieng Plateau

Cite: Abdan Syakura, Muhammad Ishak, and Said Khaidir, "Understanding the Energy Transition Debates in a Local Context: The Case of Dieng Geothermal Energy Development, Indonesia," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 189-193, 2025.

Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
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