Southeast Asia’s largest economy is seeing strong economic growth but power supply — mostly from coal-fired plants — has been struggling to keep up and brownouts are common.

“In relation to nuclear, we are sticking with the bill for long term development which says we must have nuclear power plants by 2019,” said Effendi.

The nuclear power industry globally has taken a beating as governments addressed its safety and investors bailed out of stocks after an earthquake and resulting tsunami damaged a Japanese nuclear power plant, which has sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo.

“We know that of course we have to be careful,” said Effendi, adding he expects parliament to pass a regulation this month on long-term energy policies, including nuclear power.

However, this regulation was submitted a year ago to lawmakers and the parliament is slow to approve bills, and it takes years to plan and construct nuclear plants.

While Indonesia made a presentation to the International Atomic Energy Agency last month saying it was planning “in earnest” for nuclear power, the government’s chief economic minister Hatta Rajasa played down the possibility on Wednesday.

“As long as we have alternative energy or mixed energy, nuclear is the last option. It’s not that we are not open to it, but it’s the last option,” said Rajasa.

Indonesia is considering three sites for nuclear power plants: Muria in central Java island, Banten in western Java and on the Bangka Belitung islands off Sumatra.

All are on the northern side of the island chain that has a earthquake prone fault line along the southern coast, that led to the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Banten is close to the active Krakatoa volcano, while the Muria plan has drawn opposition from residents and environmental groups.

Slovakia is interested in investing in three potential nuclear power plants in the Bangka Belitung islands, and the two countries are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding during the visit of Slovakian President Ivan Gasparovic to Indonesia on June 12, local newspaper Qur'an Tempo reported last week.