Elyssa Lopez · · 5 min readIndonesian EVs keep coal kings relevant
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In today’s newsletter, we look at:
- Mapping Indonesian coal kings charging local EV industry
- Big tech goes nuclear
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Last weekend was an important milestone for my boyfriend: He was named the coach of an NBA team. At least, virtually.
If you aren’t aware, the NBA season starts tonight. Naturally, his friends are taking a crack at winning their NBA fantasy leagues.
I’ve learned from witnessing this yearly endeavor the importance of keeping a healthy mix of veterans and young superstars. Keeping veterans on the team can help you rake in more points, but their ages increase the risk of an injury-laden season. Too many younger players, however, could result in inconsistent results.
The tricky balance of building the right portfolio of assets, whether in sports or in business, is a common challenge. In this week’s Big Story, Glenn takes a look at how coal-fired power plant operators are doing this in Indonesia, where they are grappling with the looming decline of fossil fuels.
Mapping Indonesian coal kings charging local EV industry
Image credit: Made by Tech in Asia using Midjourney
In a bid for relevance and longevity, coal-fired power plant operators are quickly diversifying their investment portfolios with EV startups.
Fabby Tumiwa, executive director of Jakarta-based think tank Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), expects the coal business to not be “as shiny” in the next decade.
IESR estimates Indonesia’s demand for coal will peak between 2025 and 2030 and then drop significantly.
Glenn’s story answers a natural but paradoxical question for coal-fired power plant operators: Can they benefit from the impending increase in electricity consumption with the EV boom?
Big tech goes nuclear
But coal isn’t the only energy-related story making headlines.
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