Power outage on Sumatra was no ordinary blackout
On Friday evening, May 22, 2026, a large-scale power outage, or blackout, struck various regions of Sumatra, including Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, and Jambi.
This was not an ordinary blackout, but a major power failure caused by a severe disruption of the interconnected electricity grid.
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The outage is believed to have originated in the 275-kilovolt high-voltage line in Muara Bungo, Sungai Rumbai, in Jambi.
The consequences of the power outage were widespread: not only did it fall dark, but communication was disrupted, economic activity was hampered, and traffic jams occurred.
Power was restored in phases to ensure the stability of the system. This incident demonstrated how dependent the population is on electricity and communication networks. Outage suspected to have been caused by main line
PLN (the state energy company) suspects that the outage originated in the 275-kilovolt high-voltage line in Muara Bungo, Sungai Rumbai, in Jambi. This line forms an essential part of Sumatra’s interconnected electricity grid.
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Power outages cause darkness, disrupt communications, disrupt economic activities (e.g., ATMs, gas stations, traffic lights), and lead to traffic jams.
Restoring power supply cannot take place all at once. Major electricity systems must be restored gradually to prevent further outages and ensure the stability of the network.
This power outage demonstrates how dependent people are on electricity and communication networks, as activities, communication, and transactions are disrupted within a few hours. ***tok
