REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian minister of energy and mineral resources Sudirman Said said here on Sunday the government would boost the use of new and renewable energy up to 19 percent by 2019 to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuel.

"Right now the use of renewable energy is still between five to six percent and so the government will increase up to 19 percent by 2019," he said at a media gathering at his ministry.

Efforts to increase the use of new and renewable energy must be accelerated and one way to do it is by increasing the budget in the sector next year, he said.

He said the government would also initiate creation of energy forests, energy parks and accelerate the installation of gas supply networks in cities.

"There will also be a building roof policy. Government buildings in several cities will have solar panels," he said.

The minister said regions with geothermal potentials would be mapped so that exploration and investment could be done in the sector like in oil and gas exploration.

By 2025, he said, it is hoped the new and renewable energy could reach 25 percent.

"We must not think pragmatically again. We must not only think for a short-term. Renewable energy is needed to preserve energy sources sustainably so that we will not rely on fossil fuel. The government will also encourage energy conservation by up to 10 percent in 2019," he said.

The government will encourage investors to invest in the energy sector and their investment is expected to reach Rp4000 trillion in the next five years spreading to new and renewable energy sector (Rp500 trillion), electricity sector (Rp1,100 trillion), upstream oil and gas sector at Rp1,200 trillion, downstream oil and gas sector Rp600 trillion and coal and mineral resource sector at Rp600 trillion.

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