Bali’s electrification ratio has reached 100 percent, according to the island’s governor.
During October 2018, state power firm PT PLN Bali increased access to electricity to 100 percent of the island province’s population, Governor Wayan Koster said on Saturday.
This achievement makes Bali the first region to get a 100 percent ratio, Koster said in commemoration of the 73rd Annual Electricity Day in Denpasar on Saturday, as quoted by Liputan6.
“Thank you to PLN. This is a gift for me as the new governor. I’m sure the effort to realize the 100 percent electrification ratio has not been an easy thing. It required hard work and struggle,” said Koster, who was inaugurated early last month.
Just shy of two months in office, Koster has demonstrated that he’s got big plans for his term as governor. Since assuming the governorship, Koster has axed the public bus system and announced plans to launch an electric rail, reinvigorated Balinese heritage by issuing resolutions decreeing a more widespread use of Balinese script and dress in Bali, and condemned the island’s tourism marketing strategy, hoping to shift things towards attracting “classy” tourists.
Even now that the island’s power access reaches 100 percent of residents, the governor is asking the public not to forget the complex challenges Bali faces with power supply.
Supply issues are related to the growth rate of Bali’s electricity consumption, which is high, at 3.3 percent, according to Koster.
Bali is dependent on neighboring island Java for its supply and renewable energy sources remain highly undeveloped in Bali—something the governor says he would like to change. Not only would he like Bali to be energy independent, but Koster says he would like to see Bali tap into renewable resources.
An issue with power being supplied to Bali from Java that left most of the resort island without electricity for several hours on Sept. 5 was a *powerful* reminder just how energy dependent Bali is on Java.
However, the general condition of Bali’s electricity is relatively better compared to a number of other regions in Indonesia, according to PLN Bali Distribution General Manager Nyoman Suwarjoni Astawa.
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