'Energy-saving must be mandatory for all'

'Energy-saving must be mandatory for all'

The government has asked residents of Java and Bali to save
energy from May 23 to June 6 because of anticipated power supply
disruptions as the government does work on its power plants. The
Jakarta Post asked residents for their thoughts on this energy-
saving campaign.

Fransiskus Budi Setyawan, 25, is an IT consultant with a
financial company at the Chase Plaza building on Jl. Sudirman in
South Jakarta. He lives with his family in Menteng Pulo, Tebet,
South Jakarta:

Energy saving? That should be mandatory for all Jakarta
residents. I heard, if I am not mistaken, that by 2008 the city
will face serious power shortages because the aging power plants
will no longer be able to meet rising electricity demand. It is
urgent that we do everything we can to cut the use of electricity
for unnecessary appliances.

At my office, on Saturdays, when only a few employees are in,
we try to save energy by turning off all the lamps and air
conditioners during the day, leaving only the computers on. We
open the windows to let fresh air in.

I do not think any company would object to energy-saving
schemes because they would benefit from lower electricity bills.

Lisa Gunawan, 30, works at securities company at the Jakarta
Stock Exchange building on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta. She
lives with her husband and son in Rawabunga, Jatinegara, East
Jakarta:

I welcome the latest call from the administration for
residents to reduce their energy use. All residents must take
part in this energy-saving drive. I think the key is to make
people aware of the need to save energy if we want to sustain the
energy we have for future generations.

We are in dire need of developing new alternative sources of
energy. Of course, these new sources should be environmentally
friendly and produce fewer emissions. The search for such
alternative energy sources will be one of the most important
tasks for experts in the country.

--The Jakarta Post