Grid Extension Becomes The Department Of The Electricity Government Of The Pelosok Region

Acting Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Dadan Kusdiana. (Photo: ESDM Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) will implement a network expansion system (grid extension) in villages close to the existing distribution network to reach areas that are not yet electrified.

Acting Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Dadan Kusdiana said the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is targeting the Electrification Ratio (RE) to be 100 percent in 2023.

Previously, the 2022 RE was 99.63 percent, an increase of 1.8 percent from 2021, which was 99.45 percent.

"The strategy is for the 100 percent Elekrification Ratio, one of which is the expansion program of the village and or household connection network close to the PLN network, namely through the extension grid program," Dadan explained in a press conference quoted on Thursday, February 2.

Grid extension itself is the government's first choice to electrify villages that have not been touched by the electricity network, to replace the previous LTSHE lights and electrify non-PLN electricityed villages.

Dadan explained that the second step is to build a miningrid through the construction of a generator that utilizes the potential for local new and renewable energy for areas that are difficult to reach through the expansion of the PLN electricity network and its people live communally.

"The construction of minigrids by utilizing local energy and this is most suitable for archipelagic areas," he added.

According to him, the provision of access to electricity for villages that are still pitch black in the 3T area is carried out by encouraging the use of new renewable energy based on local potential complete with electricity distribution tools (APDAL) and electric charging stations (SPEL).

"This program is to electrify villages that are not yet electrified, where people live or scattered, so it is not possible to build electricity networks or mini grids," he concluded.

In addition to the above program, to accelerate the achievement of RE 100 percent, the Government provides 450 VA New Electricity Installation Assistance (BPBL) for Incapable Households (RT) which is not yet electrified as registered in the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS). And in 2023 through the BPBL program, it will electrify around 83,000 RTs.