Presidential Candidates Promise to Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption

 
Kartini L Makmur, Robert Sidauruk
 
Despite ongoing strife and tensions during the campaign trail, both Indonesian presidential candidates have said they are committed to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels as part of their policies for the energy sector.
 
Each candidate, however, is putting forward different solutions for reducing the impact of these policy should they be elected.
 
Kardaya Warnika, a member of Prabowo Subiyanto – Hatta Rajasa (Prabowo-Hatta) presidential ticket, has said that a Prabowo-Hatta government will prioritize the development of renewable energy to address energy supply shortages.
 
Mr. Warnika notes that Indonesia is a country with high energy consumption levels but with an energy mix that is highly dependent on non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels and coal.
 
“Ninety-five percent of national energy demand is fulfilled by non-renewable energy,” said Mr. Warnika at the House of Representatives Secretariat, in Jakarta last Thursday.
 
Mr. Warnika highlighted three main actions that will be taken by his team to ensure national energy security. The first is ensuring the availability of energy itself, second improving the public’s accessibility to energy supplies, and third ensuring affordable energy prices.
 
On the other hand, the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) presidential ticket believes that an improvement to gas infrastructure is the best solution to reduce the high dependency on fossil fuels.
 
Darmawan Prasodjo, member of Jokowi-JK’s campaign team explained that the current inadequate gas infrastructure has significant impacts on national energy sectors.
 
“The current government is choosing to export gas at low prices and at the same time import fuel at high prices due to the lack of gas infrastructure,” said Mr. Prasodjo.
 
On a different occasion, Rinaldy Dalimi, member of the National Energy Council expressed the view that both candidates need to put any discussion on the energy sector in perspective.
 
According to Mr. Dalimi, Indonesia already has a comprehensive action plan on energy under the National Energy Policy (Kebijakan Energi Nasional).
 
“The new president will only need to implement the National Energy Policy,” said Mr. Dalimi.
 
Mr. Dalimi further explained that the National Energy Policy incorporates policy to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by ensuring the fulfillment of national demand, developing new and renewable energy sectors, and gradually reducing the export of fossil energy.

“The government only needs to draw action plan to reduce and stop export of fossil energy,” concluded Mr. Dalimi.
 
(hot/kc)