The Politics of Indonesia’s EV Battery Policy: How are the Imaginaries Shaped and Mobilized?

Fajar Aiman Rozan, Dr. Indri Dwi Apriliyanti, S.I.P., MBA.

2024 | Skripsi | ILMU ADMINISTRASI NEGARA (MANAJEMEN DAN KEBIJAKAN PUBLIK)

This article investigates the sociotechnical imaginaries surrounding Indonesia's electric vehicle (EV) battery policy, focusing on governmental actors’ diverse imaginaries and how such imaginaries are mobilized. Through content analysis of policy documents, press releases, and news media coverages, this article reveals a dominant development-oriented imaginary driven by resource extractivism and nationalism epitomized by extensive nickel downstreaming policies. This article also finds a practice of ‘selective greening,’ emphasizing how green-oriented imaginaries are frequently marginalized and selectively curated to support economic narratives. Furthermore, the article examines hierarchical imaginaries, highlighting how key figures centralize control. This structure is further exacerbated by co-production and conflict of interest dynamics that blur the lines between public and private agendas. These findings offer comparative insights for other resource-rich, politically intricate developing countries navigating similar energy transitions. 

This article investigates the sociotechnical imaginaries surrounding Indonesia's electric vehicle (EV) battery policy, focusing on governmental actors’ diverse imaginaries and how such imaginaries are mobilized. Through content analysis of policy documents, press releases, and news media coverages, this article reveals a dominant development-oriented imaginary driven by resource extractivism and nationalism epitomized by extensive nickel downstreaming policies. This article also finds a practice of ‘selective greening,’ emphasizing how green-oriented imaginaries are frequently marginalized and selectively curated to support economic narratives. Furthermore, the article examines hierarchical imaginaries, highlighting how key figures centralize control. This structure is further exacerbated by co-production and conflict of interest dynamics that blur the lines between public and private agendas. These findings offer comparative insights for other resource-rich, politically intricate developing countries navigating similar energy transitions. 

Kata Kunci : EV battery, sociotechnical imaginaries, energy transition, power dynamics, developing country