Just Energy? - Social Justice and the Indonesian Coal Sector

When the word ‘justice’ is used in relation to the energy sector, it is mainly to point out unequal access to electricity or fuel. While this indeed affects countless people worldwide, especially with regards to the electricity sector – either because they are not connected to a power grid or because they can’t afford electricity – injustices connected to the energy sector may be much more diverse. For example, in Indonesia, problems arising from centralized energy planning are manifold. When looking at the coal sector, Indonesia’s most important energy source, injustices begin with the mining and firing of coal. This has a huge impact on farming and fishing communities in rural areas, who often suffer from a severe reduction of their harvests. This demonstrates that there is a whole range of important ethical considerations that go beyond the question of how much energy can be produced and how it is being distributed. It entails understanding the role of energy under neoliberal conditions, as well as its impacts on questions of social justice. Drawing on two case studies from Indonesia, the paper explores dimensions of (in)justice related to the Indonesian coal sector and thereby identifies what social justice theory can add to our understanding of energy production and distribution as well as related decision-making structures.