Around 2,500 villages have no access to electricity in Indonesia

Around 2,500 villages have no access to electricity in Indonesia

Around 2,500 villages in Indonesia have no access to electricity for being
isolated and located in difficult terrain.

"The villages are located in difficult terrain and isolated," chairman of
the Indonesian association of private electric producers (APLSI) Arthur
Simatupang said here on Sunday.

Arthur said the government could not rely only on the state power utility
company PLN to supply electricity for the 2,500 villages mostly in frontier
areas.

The role of the private sector is important, he said, adding PLN has to team
up with independent power producers (IPP).

He said the government has issued a regulation allowing the private sector
to operate in the power generating industry in order to give the 2,5000
villages access to electricity.

The regulation calls for the involvement of the private sector, cooperatives
and regional administration companies (BUMD) to provide electricity for the
villages, he said.

"The government would provide the license for the private sector to build
power plants, power transmission networks and sell power directly to the end
consumers in isolated areas," he said.

So far only PLN is allowed to sell power to the end consumers. Independent
power producers sell their power to the end consumers via PLN . With the new
regulation PLN no longer holds the monopoly to sell power to the public in
isolated areas.

"We hope the new regulation would attract more investors to build power
plants that would help open access to electricity for the 2,500 villages,"
Arthur said.

Earlier, director of electric power program development at the energy and
mineral resources (ESDM) ministry Alihuddin Sitompul said his office has
prepared a ministerial regulation on mini power plants and was already
signed by ESDM Minister Ignatius Jonan.

"Currently it is being processed at the Law and Human Right Ministry ,"
Alihuddin said.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/108181/around-2500-villages-have-no-access
-to-electricity-in-indonesia

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com