Sunita Somvanshi
When Bali lost power at 4 p.m. on May 2, 2025, approximately 940,000 customers experienced an outage as reported by ANTARA News. The blackout occurred when a fault on a 150 kV overhead line in East Java affected one of four submarine cables that supply electricity to Bali.
“A disturbance on the 150 kV SUTT overhead line in East Java caused a rapid voltage dip on one submarine link,” states ANTARA News. Following established safety protocols, protective relays automatically disconnected all four Java–Bali cables and shut down connected generators island-wide to prevent equipment damage.
For an island that recorded 470,851 international arrivals in March (a 4.5 % monthly increase according to BPS Bali statistics), maintaining reliable power is crucial for tourism operations.
PLN teams worked to restore service with specific priorities. “By 19:30 WITA, all four submarine cables and affected overhead lines were re-energized,” PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo (PLN RUPTL 2021–2030 report) confirmed through ANTARA News. According to this source, hospitals maintained operations via backup generators, while Ngurah Rai International Airport continued functioning with minimal disruption.
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Bali’s electrical system relies on four 150 kV submarine cables with approximately 270 MW capacity from Java, as documented in PLN’s official RUPTL 2021–2030 report. Local generation facilities, including the Celukan Bawang steam power plant, provide supplementary capacity.
According to ANTARA News, the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources dispatched investigative teams led by Director Jisman Hutajulu. “A detailed root-cause report is expected within weeks,” the agency notes, adding that experts from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) have been invited to review the technical findings.
BPS Nunukan data shows Bali experienced tourism growth of 25.4 % year-on-year in Q1 2025, with 1.2 million international visitors recorded.
The IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup, which coincided with the outage, experienced temporary lighting issues before emergency power was activated, as noted in ANTARA News reporting. While no flights were canceled, the outage affected various tourism operations across the island.
PLN’s 2023–2027 RUPTL blueprint includes plans for a fifth submarine cable with 400 MW capacity, scheduled for completion by 2027. According to PT PLN reports, pilot solar-diesel microgrids and wind projects are in development in North Bali to provide independent backup power.
PLN documents indicate that Phasor Measurement Units will be installed at key grid locations to monitor frequency and voltage fluctuations, potentially enabling controlled load reduction before complete system failures occur.
These upgrades align with Indonesia’s energy transition goals. The Ministry of ESDM and the International Energy Agency have published a roadmap targeting net-zero emissions by 2060, with renewables comprising 23 % of the energy mix by 2025 and 31 % by 2050, according to IEA documentation.
The blackout highlighted Bali’s energy dependencies. Official statements from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy note that Minister Sandiaga Uno has discussed quality-focused tourism approaches, including potential visitor management strategies that could optimize economic benefits while reducing infrastructure strain.
Current reports from ANTARA News confirm that power has been fully restored throughout Bali, while technical teams continue working on system improvements to enhance grid reliability.
