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