2,5k Villages to be Powered by Solar Panels: ESDM

Jakarta, InfoPublik –Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) minster Ignasius Jonan said that solar panels will be installed in at least 2,500 remote villages across Indonesia by the year of 2019 to 2020.

"By the year of 2019 to 2020, at least 2,500 villages must have been powered by electricity," said Jonan in Jakarta, Tuesday (4/11).

This is part of the realization of the 900 VA electricity subsidy removals that is transferred to solar panels procurement.

Jonan stated that currently around  10,000 villages or 15 million people have not had access to electricity, thus realisation of the program is a must.

Solar panels are expected to increase electric power up to 20 thousand MW by 2019.

The implementation of this program is based on the Presidential Decree on the installation of solar panels. The Presidential Decree mandated ESDM to supply power to 2,500 villages using solar panels as an allocation substitute of electricity subsidy removals.

Jonan added that energy sector is one of the foundations in driving the national economy. Currently, energy and oil and gas are no longer providing large revenue for the country. ( Translator: Wilda Stiana)