Rolling power outages across parts of Java and Bali over the weekend have disrupted household and business activities, reigniting concerns over the reliability of Indonesia’s electricity system, with experts warning that the situation could persist for up to two more weeks.
City in the dark: A vendor prepares drinks for customers on May 23 during a power outage in Nagari Kasang, Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra. (Antara/Fitra Yogi)
Indonesia continues to grapple with power outages as rolling blackouts over the weekend disrupted household and commercial activities in parts of West Java, East Java, Yogyakarta and other areas connected to the Java-Madura-Bali grid.The disruptions have been particularly challenging for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), many of which depend on uninterrupted electricity to operate.
"I suspect these conditions may continue for perhaps another two weeks," Fabby Tumiwa, CEO of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), said in an interview with Kompas TV on Saturday, urging state-owned utility PLN to provide clearer information regarding scheduled outages, so that consumers could better prepare.
According to Fabby, outages lasting three to five hours have forced many businesses to suspend operations or rely on costly diesel generators.
