Power cut hits parts of Sumatra
Puji Santoso, Pekanbaru
Power blackouts sometimes lasting longer than three hours have been a frequent occurrence in Riau province during the past two weeks, and the provincial government wants answers from the power suppliers.
Riau Governor Rusli Zainal expressed concern on Friday about the cuts, saying the electricity supply in the province was still far from expectations.
"Electricity for household use is not adequate, let alone for industries," he said in the provincial capital of Pekanbaru.
The governor promised to summon local state electricity company PLN directors to explain the reason for the blackouts. He would also ask them what was being done to rectify the situation in the short term, he said.
Rusli said the administration was working to overcome the electricity problems in Riau and was planning to set a up gas and steam-powered electricity plant in Teluklembu in cooperation with a British company.
Meanwhile, Riau-based PLN general manager Ahmad Taufik Haji appealed to the public to remain patient over the blackouts.
Taufik said an increase in demand had led to the power shortage.
The number of prospective power subscribers in Riau has increased to around 6,000 in recent times, including about 2,500 applicants registered by the Riau office of the Indonesian Real Estate Association (REI).
The growth in power customers meant a power crisis was also looming in West Sumatra and Jambi, Taufik said. "It is likely to be difficult for us to meet the needs of new customers," he said.
The current situation where demand for electricity was greater than PLN's capacity, meant the company had to prioritize new installations for residential power, he said.
"Our priority is household customers, while industries have to take second place at the moment, Taufik said.
Taufik admitted some PLN officials were taking advantage of the unfavorable conditions for personal gain.
The PLN was completing its online registering system to prevent such irregularities, he said. The system would "impose a first-come-first-serve" basis.
"An applicant's turn (to be connected) will be determined by the computer automatically," Taufik said.