DENPASAR ~

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika hopes that Bali can be used as a pilot project of the use of electricity from solar cell if the central government has the budget to develop solar power plants.

“If the central government had the budget to develop solar energy cell, I do expect for Bali as the pilot project,” Pastika said when receiving in audience members of National Energy Board Sony Keraf, in Denpasar, on Thursday.

According to him, the concept of solar energy will be in a line with roadmap of Bali development which is heading up to green province.

He added that recently Bali has developed this kind of energy on a small scale in two locations: in Bangli and Karangasem.

Next, he plans to develop this technology for government offices in order to be able to save electricity for night light.

For larger scale in the future, he plans to develop this technology as a source of electrical energy for civil servants’ vehicles that will be switched into an electric vehicle.

“If people of Bali could use an electric vehicle without noise and pollution, how beautiful Bali is and it will be the pride of the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, if in each village could be developed small-scale solar energy and managed by the village itself, it will provide benefits and bring a double effect for economic development in rural communities.

On the other hand, Pastika expressed the need for energy, particularly electricity in Bali continues to increase. So far, most of the electrical power to Bali in the amount of 850 MW is supplied from Java through submarine cable and only a small portion produced in Bali, in Gilimanuk and Sanggaran which are still using fuel.

Whereas the only coal-fired power plants in Celukan Bawang, Buleleng, has not been able to produce optimally due to some constraints and fuel sources that must also be brought in from outside Bali.

“If there is a problem with the cable or the supply of fuel and coal from outside Bali, then Bali would be in blackout without the electricity,” he said.

Meanwhile Sony Keraf suggested that Bali may make regulations regarding the use of solar cell for hotels, offices, public and corporate offices in Bali. Consequently it will be able to save the use of electricity.

He also promised to submit the proposal of governor to the president , to make Bali as an example of the development and utilization of solar energy.