With the possibility of an energy crisis looming large in Bali’s future, the provincial government said this week they are working to issue a new regulation that aims to harness renewable sources of energy, including geothermal and solar.
“The plan for a Governor Regulation on Clean Energy is an innovative piece of regulation, the first of its kind in Indonesia and made independently by the Bali Provincial Government,” Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
According to an official from Bali’s Energy and Manpower Agency, IB Setiawan, the holiday island must anticipate the possibility of an energy crisis, which might occur in the next two to four years.
“If there are no boost to Bali’s energy capacity, there might be an energy crisis in 2021 to 2023,” Setiawan told the Jawa Pos network.
Officials estimate that Bali will require as much as 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2021, which is more than 300 MW more than the current energy demand.
Power is a pretty tricky issue in Bali, with most of it being supplied to the island from Java. In September 2018, Bali experienced an islandwide blackout after an electrical interference incident occurred at an electric steam power plant (PLTU) in Pacitan, East Java.
This is where alternative sources of energy might offer that much-needed solution for the energy needs of the island. One such source is geothermal energy, which officials hope to harness through the development of a power plant specifically for that purpose.
According to a report from Radar Bali, a geothermal power plant could potentially be built in Banyuwedang, Buleleng or Batur, Bangli. However, officials still need to conduct a feasibility study for those locations.
Antara also reported that the new regulation will push for the use of clean energy, such as solar panels, in commercial and government buildings, including hotels and restaurants.
