The PKS Faction Firmly Rejects The Power Wheeling Scheme In The EBET Bill

New renewable energy (Photo: dock. intermediate)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VII DPR RI, Mulyanto emphasized that the PKS faction consistently rejects the inclusion of power steering regulations in the Draft Energy New Renewable Law (RUU EBET) which is currently entering the formulation and synchronization process by the perumus team and the synchronization team (timus-timsin).

Mulyanto explained that regarding power steering, the articles proposed by the Government are still being discussed and there is no agreement. The PKS faction rejected the entry of this article and asked for discussions to be carried out at the working meeting level.

However, considering the busy schedule of Session V which ends on July 11, 2024, it can be estimated that neither the Timus-Timsin nor the Working Meeting related to the EBET Bill can be held during this Session Period.

So the discussion will continue during the next session. Therefore, it can be ascertained that this EBET Bill cannot be decided during the V Session Period in 2023/2024.

"PKS itself refuses to include articles related to power steering. Because this article not only regulates the matter of renting the PLN transmission network by the private sector, but the crucial implication is the possibility of private power plants to sell electricity directly to electricity users by taking on the role of PLN," said Mulyanto, Monday 8 July.

Mulyanto continued, PLN is no longer the only institution in the single buyer and single seller (SBSS) system, but there are many private parties who buy and sell electricity and form a multi-buyer and multi-celler system (MBMS).

In other words, electricity business is no longer only monopolized by PLN but is realized to the private sector by following the market mechanism.

"This is an important matter and principle because these norms are not in accordance with the spirit of the constitution which places the electricity sector as an important and strategic branch of business controlled by the state as much as possible for the prosperity of the people, whose business is carried out by state companies," he said.

He added that including the article on power wheeling is the same as opening Pandora's box, which makes electricity a market commodity, where entrepreneurship is carried out by people whose prices are determined by market mechanisms.

"That's why the Constitutional Court twice carried out JR against the Electricity Law in 2003 against Law no. 20 of 2002, and 2015 against Law no. 30 of 2009 which ultimately rejected the principle of 'unfunding' (unintegrated) and emphasized that the electricity sector must be controlled by the State", concluded Mulyanto.