Power plant saga
Power plant saga
The plan to construct a gas and steam generating power plant
in Pemaron village, in the regency of Buleleng, Singaraja, Bali,
has drawn much attention from locals. State-owned electricity
company PLN had to suspend the construction due to protests from
villagers, which have been going on for more than a year now.
Bali, a prime tourist destination, gets its power from Java
through underwater cables with wattage capacity of about 180 MW.
PLN reported that two of the three underwater cables between
Bali and East Java have been damaged. Should the remaining cable
also be damaged, Bali would be faced with a serious power
shortage, which would negatively impact tourism in Bali.
The new plant is to be built in the village of Pemaron, about
six kilometers west of Singaraja. The reasons for choosing
Pemaron for the power plant were: land and some facilities are
available and are already owned by PLN, and the village is
situated close to the beach, which will allow PLN to ship oil to
the site to power the plant.
Unfortunately, the location of the project is within a tourist
resort. According to a decree from the Bali governor, the tourist
resort includes Pemaron, Tukadmungga, Anturan, Kalibukbuk,
Kaliasem, Kayuputih and Temukus. Consequently, the area has been
set aside for tourist facilities such as hotels and restaurants.
Any construction not related to the tourist industry is banned.
Not only those people directly involved in the tourist
business, but also those who indirectly earn a living from
tourism, such as traders, vendors and fishermen, are strongly
opposed to the project. They fear the project will destroy the
environment of the tourist resort. Letters of protest have
demanded that the regency of Buleleng reject the project. They
suggest that another more acceptable area, such as Celukan Bawang
harbor (further west of Singaraja), be used instead.
The debate over this matter continues to drag on, with no
final decision yet reached. The local administration should ask
for opinions from members of the community, such as academics,
government officials, experts and businesspeople, to find the
best solution to the problem.
NYOMAN SUWELA
Singaraja, Bali