Executives at state power firm PT PLN, under fire for implementing rotating blackouts across Greater Jakarta, risk demotion if they fail to address the problem in less than a month, warns a minister.
The threat was made Thursday by State Minister for State Enterprises Mustafa Abubakar in response to blackouts in many parts of the city carried out by PLN amid a power shortage triggered in part by damaged substations.
"I will take disciplinary action against those who fail to meet the electricity crisis improvement deadline," he said during a visit to the fire-gutted Cawang Baru electricity substation in Cililitan, East Jakarta.
"However, I will reward - including a bonus in the form of promotion - those who meet the target.
"The bait is their positions. I demand no more power outages in West Jakarta by Dec. 1."
Mustafa said the disciplinary actions would vary, with the harshest being demotion.
Supply of electricity to the greater Jakarta area has since Sept. 29 been disrupted after fires broke out at the Cawang Baru and Kembangan, West Jakarta, substations.
This eventually led to PLN forcing scheduled, rotating blackouts that are expected to continue until the end of the year.
In addition, Mustafa also set a target of reducing the level of electricity leaks from the current 8.6 percent to 8 percent by year-end.
The Cawang Baru electricity substation exploded on Sept. 29 after fire razed two output transformers. Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.
PLN has tried to make up for the power shortage by purchasing 100 megawatts of electricity from PT Cikarang Listrikindo and redirecting power from the Tanjung Priok and Muara Karang substations in North Jakarta.
PLN Greater Jakarta general manager Purnomo Willy said he would try his best to resolve the problem and meet the target set by Mustafa.
"We'll try to guarantee there will be no more power outages in West Jakarta by the start of December, in line with the restoration of the Kembangan electricity substation," he said.
Purnomo added other efforts PLN was undertaking were the planned installation by Nov. 22 of 200 electricity load controllers at luxury homes with power connections of more than 30 kilovolt-amperes.
"We expect *the load controllers* will save to 2 to 3 megawatts of power," he said, adding that for the first step, the controllers would be installed in the upmarket neighborhoods of Pondok Indah and Menteng.
The installations would be carried out at PLN's cost, he confirmed.
The controllers will cap the electricity consumption at those houses, Purnomo said.
The electricity will be automatically shut off if the consumption reaches a certain level.
Besides luxury homes, PLN will also limit power consumption at malls and shopping centers
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