Jakarta—Environmental activists and academics see the blackout that paralysed Bali this week as a reflective moment. It reopened a critical debate: Is reliance on fossil fuels and centralised power grids still worth sustaining amidst the climate crisis and technical uncertainty?
Suriadi Darmoko, Field Organiser of the environmental organisation 350.org Indonesia, argued on Monday, May 5, that the blackout was not just a technical glitch but a consequence of overreliance on fossil fuel-based centralised generation systems.
“This is the fourth time the Java-Bali electricity system has experienced a major failure. If we still rely on fossil energy networks and large centralised power plants, events like this will continue to repeat,” he said.
Starting at 16:00 WITA, on Thursday, 2 May, Bali experienced a total blackout for hours due to a disruption in the Java-Bali transmission sea cable. Several power plants in the regional system were also disconnected from the grid. PT PLN (Persero) confirmed that the disruption stemmed from a technical problem in the transmission system, which caused a widespread outage.
“The cause came from a technical disturbance in our transmission network, which affected a number of power plants and caused widespread blackouts,” said Adi Priyanto, Distribution Director of PLN, in an official statement.
Bali’s renewable energy potential is more than enough
Based on joint research between the Centre for Community-Based Renewable Energy (CORE) of Udayana University and Greenpeace Indonesia, Bali Island actually has a great opportunity to be free from fossil energy. The research found that the potential of solar energy in Bali reaches 113,436.5 GWh annually. This is almost 11 times the projected electricity demand for Bali in 2027, which is estimated at 10,014 GWh per year.
“The potential for solar energy in Bali is huge. The average daily irradiation can reach 4.89 kWh/m²/day. This is well above the European eligibility standard of 900 kWh/m² per year,” said the research report.
Some areas in Bali have even proven that community-scale renewable energy generation can be a real solution. These include the Nusa Penida solar power plant, which now fulfils a third of local electricity demand, and the Kayubihi solar power plant in Bangli, which is managed collaboratively by the local government and the community.
“PLTS Kayubihi can be used as a model of fair and sustainable ownership and management of power plants. The key is the political will of the local government to develop people’s energy,” Suriadi added.
Momentum towards energy independence
After this total extinguishing, the pressure on the Bali Provincial Government to accelerate the transition to community-based renewable energy is getting stronger. The concept of “Bali Mandiri Energi,” which was echoed for years, can no longer wait.
The proposed model involves building large solar or wind farms and establishing a decentralised energy generation system at the level of traditional villages, tourist villages, and even banjars. This system is considered more resilient to major disruptions because it does not depend on one main source or network.
“Decentralised systems not only strengthen community energy security, but also support low-carbon development and strengthen Bali’s image as an environmentally friendly tourist destination,” said Suriadi. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Marcelo Chagas/pexels.com
