Tri Mumpuni

Indonesian engineer empowering rural communities through micro-hydro power plants

Tri Mumpuni (born 1964) has electrified 500+ remote Indonesian villages through her community-owned hydro power initiatives. As director of IBEKA (People-Centered Business and Economic Institute), she implemented a revolutionary model where villages build/maintain micro-dams while retaining 95% of generated electricity profits.

Her "energy democracy" approach counters Indonesia's centralized power grid, reducing forest destruction from diesel generators. Each 50-100KW plant prevents ~10,000 tons CO2 emissions annually. The Ashden Award-winning system funds schools and healthcare through energy cooperatives.

Mumpuni survived death threats from illegal loggers while installing plants in Kalimantan. Her "Three Pillars" methodology (technical training, financial literacy, governance workshops) has been adopted in Philippines and Myanmar. Over 2 million now access clean power through her decentralized network.