IMPROVING ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEM

Development of a sustainable energy production and supply is crucial due to the depleting of the fossil-based fuel to date. It is also often stated that energy is one of the key building blocks of sustainable development. Energy has a deep linkage with all three dimensions of life, naming environmental, economic, social aspects, therefore it can be implied that development of sustainable energy system is crucial in all countries in the world.

In Indonesia, sustainable energy system has not been established yet. There are several factors causing this problem, for example the lack of renewable energy utilization and the exclusive management of energy supply. Some ideas have been proposed to solve this problem aiming to establish the efficient and secure use of energy and supplies that are reliable, affordable and less-polluting. This essay will intensively discuss about some issues related to sustainable energy, comprising the today’s energy supply system in Indonesia (particularly fossil-based fuel), renewable energy as the basis of sustainable energy, the renewable energy supply system, as well as opportunities and challenges for applying the supply system.

Fossil-based Fuel Supply System in Indonesia

In Indonesia, fossil-based fuel such as petroleum and diesel fuel is solely performed by the state-own oil company PT Pertamina (Persero) which is at least consist of three divisions. Exploration Division has responbility to explore and drill crude oil from the earth. It is carried to the production division and processed to yield fuel, then it is marketed to public via gas station. Refer to Figure 1, the energy supply system in this country can be evaluated through the three points of view, they are environmental aspect, social aspect, and economic aspect.

Environmental Aspect

Exploring fossil fuel from the earth is damaging ecosystem. Furthermore, the uncontrolled crude oil drilling often initiates some unpredictable natural hazard as it happens in Porong Sidoarjo. On the otherhand, fossil-based energy is the main cause of today’s environmental pollution. In the area of transportation, for example, utilization of motor vehicles causes air pollution problem resulted by the existence of exhaust gas. Several compounds contained in the gas, such as NOX and CO2 has bad impact since it causes green house effect, resulting in the ozone depletion and climate change.

Social Aspect

In the Figure 1, it reveals that all of the supply system is exclusively managed by the company. There is no public contribution in the system and people are only acts as the consumer. Based on this condition, it can be understood if there is a high dependence of the Indonesian people on the availability of the fuel by PT Pertamina (Persero) operation. Public can not meet their need on energy by themselves. The lack of public participation on fossil-based fuel supply system is caused by their unableness to produce the fuel.

Economical Aspect

The present supply system managed by PT Pertamina (Persero) does not provide secure supply of the energy to the public. The rare of the fuel availability is often occur in Indonesia. It can cause madness of economy system. Moreover public dependence on fossil fuel has important economic costs for them.

Propose for Renewable Energy and The New Supply System

Based on this condition, community participation on providing energy is essential, especially for producing renewable energy so as to establish sustainable energy. It is simple to begin sustainable energy in a community in scheme they produce, supply, and use their own energy based on resources around them, such as geothermal, hydro-power, ocean, wind, solar, and agricultural product/biomass. Therefore the society especially from the low level can fulfill their basic need on energy.

For example, a fisherman community develop bio-diesel processing unit from some agriculture product, such as Jathropa curcas, to run their boat. Manufacturing bio-diesel with low specification for running the vehicle is uncomplicated. The consequences are the fishermen have to be trained for planting Jathropa curcas on ideal estate concept and producing the bio-diesel. On this condition, the fisherman community can meet their need by themselves and it means that sustainable energy has been set up in that community. If the similar system is arranged in all communities in this country, the sustainable energy will be established. On environment, social, and economic aspects, this system has some benefits.

Benefit on Environmental Aspect

Exploitation of renewable energy can significantly contribute towards reducing dependency on fossil fuels. The new system will minimize of pollution and reduce natural hazard. Renewable energy is cleaner, with less harmful emissions, than fossil fuels. Therefore, promoting innovative renewable applications and reinforcing the renewable energy market will contribute to preservation of the ecosystem by reducing emissions at local and global levels.

Benefit on Social Aspect

In the renewable energy supply system, public can be involved on supplying energy. Moreover, public can meet their need on energy by themselves. A strong relationship is evident between per capita energy use and a number of social indicators (Human Development Index). At low levels of the HDI, dramatic improvements come with relatively small increases in energy use [1]. Hence, the renewable energy supply system influence social aspect which is increase standards living of human life.

Benefit on Economic Aspect

There are many recent studies that indicate the positive economic influence of the system. One study commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association in 2002[3] indicates that establishing a 40-million gallon per year ethanol plant could provides a one-time boost of $142-million to the local economy during construction ; creates 41 plant jobs and 694 other new jobs throughout the entire economy ; expands the local economic base by $110.2-million per year ; generates $1.2-million in new state and local taxes per year, and increases the local price of corn by 5-10 cents per bushel.

Opportunities and Challenges

There are some opportunities and challenges to develop the energy supply system based on renewable energy source. A broad set of different renewable energy technologies exist today, particularly in industrial country. On the other hand the resources for making renewable energy, such as wind power, geothermal, and agricultural biomass, are available in Indonesia. The lack of the technology in Indonesia is causing the sources can not be managed optimally yet. So, it opens opportunities for other country to collaborate with Indonesia to provide sustainable energy system by the promising renewable energy sources from Indonesia. It will be beneficial to both of Indonesia and its associate. While technology is available, there is also a main challenge emerge for starting the new supply system based on renewable energy sources, it is the process for educating the community to understand the way for producing, supplying, and using the renewable energy, in order to establishing sustainable energy in their community.

Conclusion

Public participation is key success of establishing sustainable energy system. The other factor supporting this project is renewable energy sources. Both of the two factors are essential contributors to sustainable energy as they generally contribute to world energy security, reducing dependence on fossil fuel resources, and also improving standards living in environment, economical, and social aspects. Opportunities to realize it is obvious, however a great effort is necessary to attempt the challenges.

Refference :

[1] WRI: 2002, World Resources 2002–03, New York, CD-ROM, World Resources Institute.

[2] NREL (2003), Dollars from Sense. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy97/20505.pdf

[3] Urbanchuk, J. and J. Kapell (2002), Ethanol and the Local Community http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/pdfs/EthanolLocalCommunity.pdf

[4] McKissick, J. (2004) UGA Studies Economics of Biofuel Use Poultry Times Vol LI, No. 5, March 1, 2004