A major power outage struck the entire island of Bali on Friday, 2 May 2025, around 16.00 WITA, halting daily activities and disrupting vital services, including transportation and air travel.
Major local news sources have cited that the blackout, which affected all regencies and cities across the island, was caused by a disruption in the undersea cable supplying electricity from Java to Bali. Although, as of Friday evening, PLN had not provided a detailed explanation of the cable fault or an estimate for when full power would be restored.
The fault triggered automatic shutdowns across multiple local power plants, including PLTG Gilimanuk, PLTG Pemaron Units 1 and 2, PLTG Pesanggaran Units 2 through 6, PLTDG, and the rental PLTD in Pemaron.
“Yes, there is currently a power outage in Bali due to a system disruption. We are working on recovery efforts,” said Anom Silaparta, spokesperson for PLN UID Bali.
Traffic snarled, services interrupted
The blackout caused widespread traffic chaos, with traffic lights inoperative at several major intersections, leading to congestion across affected areas. The outage also disrupted public services and businesses as backup systems were activated where available.
I Wayan Eka Susana, Manager of Communications and TJSL at PLN UID Bali, confirmed the blackout extended across Denpasar, Badung, Jembrana, Karangasem, Buleleng, and other areas. “The outage is widespread throughout Bali. Updates will follow,” he said in a WhatsApp message.
Airport switches to backup power
At I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, operations continued under emergency conditions using diesel-powered generators. General Manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport had prepared backup fuel supplies ahead of the blackout, ensuring services could continue.
The outage hit the airport at approximately 16.30 WITA, prompting a temporary disruption as systems transitioned from PLN power to generators. “There were some flight delays during the initial switch, due to the time needed for system restarts,” Syaugi said.
Despite the brief setbacks, all critical airport functions—including departures, arrivals, check-in, and baggage claim—were restored shortly after backup systems took over.
“We are doing our best to maintain services amid the situation and continue coordinating with relevant authorities to monitor developments,” Syaugi added.
PLN continues efforts to restore electricity across Bali. No timeline for full recovery has been announced.
