SCMP | Why coal should have no future in Southeast Asia’s energy mix

The View by Pamela Simamora, IESR’s Research Coordinator

Growing energy demand in Southeast Asia is often associated with increasing coal use despite the region’s huge renewable potential. To help lower carbon dioxide emissions from coal power, some have tried to for “clean” coal technology in Southeast Asia.

However, we need to carefully define what clean coal is. It is true that ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plants emit less carbon dioxide given their higher efficiency than conventional coal-fired plants. However, to call them clean is misleading. Even at peak efficiency, they still emit far more emissions than natural gas power plants.

Furthermore, do not forget the air, water and land pollution from coal power that make it far from clean. In Southeast Asia, air pollution caused 450,000 premature deaths in 2018. That number is predicted to increase to 650,000 by 2040 if the region continues its coal addiction.

In addition to emissions, studies suggest new-build solar power across Asean will be cheaper than new coal power from 2020 onwards. Those studies also predict that members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will see unprecedented low prices of renewables; building new solar and onshore wind power will be cheaper than operating coal plants between 2027 and 2029.

Moreover, battery storage costs have plummeted in recent years, making solar power and storage increasingly cost-competitive with coal plants. Portugal’s latest solar auction hit a world record for the lowest output price, at US$0.0131 per kilowatt hour. At this price, renewable energy is superior in almost all aspects – affordability, reliability and sustainability.

Clean energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics, wind turbines and batteries have become more affordable and reliable in the past 10 years. Falling prices, together with massive renewable energy potential, have led Thailand
to target increasing its solar capacity to 6 gigawatts and wind to 3 gigawatts by 2036. This will add to its existing 2.9 gigawatts of solar and 1.5 gigawatts of wind power.

At the same time, Vietnam has aggressively developed solar capacity from only 106 megawatts in 2018 to 5.5 gigawatts in 2019, making it Southeast Asia’s solar development leader. Malaysia has developed a solar module manufacturing industry that employed 54,300 people in 2018. Meanwhile, the Philippines has been catching up with other Asean countries by deploying 922 megawatts of solar energy and 427 megawatts of wind energy in 2019.

Some provinces and cities across the region have committed to phasing out coal. Through these commitments, local governments wish to show that sustainable development in developing countries is both possible and viable.

Any plan to keep building new coal-fired power plants is a dangerous game that no country should pursue.

In Indonesia for example, Carbon Tracker projected in 2018 that phasing out coal power consistent with the Paris climate agreement would leave owners facing US$34.7 billion in stranded assets. Increasing coal capacity would only worsen the situation and lock Indonesia into coal infrastructure.

Risks from climate change and stranded assets are so real that more than 100 financial institutions from around the world have committed to divesting from coal projects, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The increasingly limited access to finance makes proposals for new coal power in Southeast Asia even more puzzling.

Meanwhile, carbon capture and sequestration technology has obstacles to overcome to enable its widespread use. Two coal plants, Boundary Dam in Canada and Petra Nova in the United States, are often cited by carbon capture advocates as an implementation success story. The truth, however, is more complex.

Like any other technology, carbon capture systems need energy to run. Boundary Dam uses its own power to run its carbon capture system, lowering power output. Meanwhile, Petra Nova uses a natural gas plant to run its system, making the net emission reduction only about 70 per cent instead of the 90 per cent advertised.

ve. A UC Berkeley study warned that adding carbon capture systems to coal plants could expose them to water scarcity.

High cost is another barrier to carbon capture implementation. Estimates put the cost at around US$60 per tonne of carbon dioxide but, to be commercially viable, the cost must be closer to US$30 per tonne. A US Department of Energy study found that installing carbon capture systems at coal plants would drive up capital costs by 80 per cent to 86 per cent, translating into higher electricity prices.

While carbon capture technology has the potential to address emissions from industrial processes, its use at coal plants is unjustifiable when renewables are available at lower cost. Rather than how can carbon capture technology prolong coal use in Southeast Asia, the question to ask is: how can the region

transition towards carbon neutrality

by 2050 in a just and sustainable manner? Energy transition is a long, complex process that requires careful planning.

Early decisions to move away from coal will help markets make necessary changes and allow countries time to make plans to manage the transition’s impact. Too early, therefore, is better than too late. Asean countries should work together to help Southeast Asia enjoy all the benefits energy transition can provide.

Pamela Simamora is a research coordinator at the Institute for Essential Services Reform, a think tank focusing on energy transition issues in Indonesia

 

The Jakarta Post | Tug of war: Stakeholders clash over nuclear, fossil fuel addition to green energy bill

Green energy businesses and watchdogs are up in arms over the House of Representatives’ decision to add nuclear and “new” fossil fuel technologies into a landmark green energy bill. Industry players have issued statements and held public hearings with lawmakers over the past two weeks to protest such an addition in the long-awaited New and Renewables Energy (EBT) bill, which promises legal certainty and incentives for listed industries.

This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title “Tug of war: Stakeholders clash over nuclear, fossil fuel addition to green energy bill”. Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/09/25/tug-of-war-stakeholders-clash-over-nuclear-fossil-fuel-addition-to-green-energy-bill.html.

Beyond 100%: What does universal access energy mean?

In May 2020, The World Bank (with several agencies) issued a report on global energy access status Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress report 2020. In this report, highlights for Indonesia include significant developments on three main targets: availability of electricity (based on electrification ratio) and clean energy for cooking, utilization of renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Based on IESR’s analysis, this good development should be considered with several notes. Energy access is often narrowly interpreted as a connection to the grid, access to LPG distribution networks, or the availability of basic lighting. However, regarding energy as essential services, it should be able to contribute to poverty alleviation, economic growth, and general development agenda. Beyond the basic needs for daily activities, that often tend to be consumptive in nature, the provision of energy is a driving force for productive activities; whether on a household scale, in the case of small and medium enterprises, and on a large scale. Access to energy is also important for education and health services. With better education and health, more windows of opportunity are opened, including opportunities to get a job or to entrepreneurship.

In the Indonesian context, “quality energy access” has yet to enter mainstream energy discourse, for both electricity and clean cooking. With the government’s plan to achieve 100% electrification this year, it is then necessary and timely to introduce access beyond connections – as to influence future planning related to energy access. This webinar will discuss lessons learned from the international landscape on integrated energy planning that is needed, specifically to answer the gaps in considering the quality and community context to energy provision.

IESR with CAFOD held a talk in a webinar session discussing Beyond 100%: What does universal energy access mean? featuring Dr. Sarah Wykes, Lead Analyst Climate Change & Energy, CAFOD and Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director, IESR on Friday, September 4th 2020 via Zoom and published Live

Hosted by: Marlistya Citraningrum, Program Manager Sustainable Energy Access, IESR

Presentation materials:

Dr. Sarah Wykes

IESR Energy Access Webinar_04 Sep 2020_CAFOD

Unduh

 

Fabby Tumiwa

IESR Energy Access Webinar_04 Sep 2020_IESR

Unduh

 

Rachmat Mardiana

Presentasi - Listrik Perdesaan - Energy Delivery Model - 04092020

Unduh

 

Drs. Samsul Widodo, MA

IESR Energy Access Webinar_04 Sep 2020_Kemendesa

Unduh

 

Jaya Wahono

IESR Energy Access Webinar_04 Sep 2020_CPI

Unduh

 

The color of economic recovery is green

[Op-ed at The Jakarta Post, 21 July 2020]

With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic felt far and wide, almost all countries are now in combat mode: issuing and implementing various policies to stop the spread and to cushion the impacts on the economy and people’s livelihood.

For that purpose, governments have allocated more than US$12 trillion in the form of direct budget support, loan and equity injections, guarantees and other incentives. According to Energy Policy Tracker only a small fraction of $88 billion is aimed at clean energy, which is only half than stimulus for fossil fuels.

Learning from the past recession, there will be a spike in human and industrial activity post-crisis along with a bounce back in the economy. Carbon emissions dropped 1.4 percent in 2009 after the 2008 financial crisis, but rose 5.1 percent in 2010.

While many have prematurely celebrated the predicted 8 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions this year, the world needs to remain watchful.

Green growth, as a means of doing the best for people and the planet, has been proven to be economically effective, particularly in response to crisis. The International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted how green stimulus programs in response to the 2008-2009 economic crisis had played an important role in recovering the economy in China, Japan, Korea and the European Union.

A recent study from Oxford University, co-authored by prominent experts including environmental economist Cameron Hepburn and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, also found large support for green economic measures from the respondents of the study (central bankers, finance ministers and academics). Their key question did not solely mention climate targets, but also the speed of implementation, long-run economic multiplier and policy desirability. Clean energy policies, particularly clean energy R&D, infrastructure and clean connectivity infrastructure, were listed in the top 10 desired recovery policies, considered having large long-run multipliers and a strong positive impact on the climate. Just last month, the IEA also issued its Sustainable Recovery Report, echoing the need to push for climate-oriented recovery and to “build back better”.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted that Indonesia’s economy would grow 2.5 percent in 2020, a stark contrast to 5 percent growth last year. Economic growth in the second quarter is negative and future growth remains bleak.

Undoubtedly, the Indonesian government needs to disburse economic stimulus to create growth. The growing voice to encourage greener measures, however, has yet to resonate in Indonesia. The government has designated Rp 695.2 trillion ($48 billion) for COVID-19 measures and economic stimulus packages, yet none was allocated to green stimulus.

Vivid Economics has been reviewing the “greenness” of 17 major economies’ COVID-19 stimulus injected into sectors that have long-term impacts on nature, and it suggested that Indonesia’s stimulus falls into the “brown” category (and has the lowest score), dominated by support for the high-carbon industry and energy sector.

Indonesia should opt for renewable energy for economic development, particularly in this difficult time and to reduce future greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the share of renewable energy in Indonesia’s power sector is only 2 percent of total potential – a result of intertwining factors: a lack of consistent and supportive policies, market barriers, as well as concerns about human resources and grid readiness.

Solar energy, with the highest potential (of more than 200 GW nationwide), has yet to boom despite the global trend showing the exact opposite. Benefiting from massive deployment globally and a sharp decline in technology prices, solar energy could play an instrumental role in reviving Indonesia’s economy – and by extension, opening the doors to rapidly develop other renewables, keeping on track with our national energy target and climate pledge.

The Jakarta Post reported on June 19 that the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry was working on a $1 billion solar program. It targets 1 gigawatt-peak (GWp) annual installations of rooftop solar for households receiving electricity subsidies. If prepared and implemented properly, this national solar program could be the answer to Indonesia’s absence in disbursing green stimulus: providing energy safety nets, boosting domestic solar industry and creating employment.

We estimate that this program could generate up to 30,000 green jobs per annum, much needed to fill in the gaps in recovering the economy.

The program is only one form of strategy for green economic recovery, and it is clearly not sufficient. As Indonesia aims to reach a 23 percent share of renewable energy in the primary energy mix by 2025, an additional $3 billion to $5 billion investment (in the renewable energy sector alone) is required. Building gigawatt solar plants and rooftop solar could be the fastest way to meet this target in due time. Unfortunately, Indonesia’s renewable energy investment attractiveness is pretty low.

The long-awaited presidential regulation on renewable tariffs and procurement of renewables, as well as the newly announced cooperation between the IEA and Indonesia should come to aid, as they are expected to increase investment attractiveness. Financing support for residential and commercial solar installation could also spur interest in installing rooftop solar, along with removing barriers to connect rooftop solar to state electricity company PLN’s grid.

Given the opportunity and the potential, we call on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to set green economic recovery strategies and to take the lead in accelerating energy transition in Indonesia. Putting the stimulus money into fossil fuels and dirty industry is not an option.

The pandemic has given us an opportunity to rethink our development, and we cannot just do business as usual. Carpe diem.

***

Fabby Tumiwa is the executive director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), Marlistya Citraningrum is the institute’s program manager for sustainable energy access.

Featured image via The Jakarta Post – accompanying image of the op-ed.

‘It is time for Indonesia to become a solar powerhouse’

The Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), a Jakarta-based think tank, has emerged as a key voice calling for solar development in Indonesia. pv magazine recently caught up with Marlistya Citraningrum, the institute’s program manager for sustainable energy access, to look at what is still needed on the policy side for the archipelago nation to realize its massive PV potential.

Interview with pvmagazine – for complete article please visit this link.

Kontan.co.id | Target investasi EBT tahun 2020 terancam meleset karena corona dan masalah regulasi

Rabu, 03 Juni 2020 / 18:16 WIB

Reporter: Dimas Andi | Editor: Handoyo .

KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Situasi pandemi Corona dan belum rampungnya regulasi membuat investasi di sektor energi baru terbarukan (EBT) masih menemui hambatan sepanjang tahun ini.

Sebagai catatan, Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) menargetkan perolehan investasi sektor EBT di tahun 2020 sebanyak US$ 2 miliar. Nilai investasi tersebut diharapkan dapat terus meningkat menjadi US$ 20 miliar hingga tahun 2024 mendatang. Hal ini guna mendorong target bauran EBT di Indonesia sebanyak 23% di tahun 2025 nanti.

Berdasarkan data Kementerian ESDM, pemerintah menargetkan penambahan pembangkit EBT sebanyak 686 megawatt (MW) menjadi 10,84 gigawatt (GW) di tahun ini.

Jika dirinci, kapasitas Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Air (PLTA) ditargetkan naik 165,2 MW menjadi 6.050,7 MW di tahun ini. Kemudian, Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi (PLTP) naik 140,1 MW menjadi 2.270,7 MW, Pembangkit Listrik Berbasis Bioenergi naik 246,9 MW menjadi 2.131,5 MW, dan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) naik 116,5 menjadi 231,9 MW.

Adapun kapasitas Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Bayu tetap di level 154,3 MW di tahun ini. Begitu pula dengan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Hybrid yang tetap di level kapasitas 4 MW.

Direktur Eksekutif Institute for Essential Service Reform (IESR) Fabby Tumiwa mengatakan, seluruh investasi di sektor EBT yang meliputi pembangunan pembangkit listrik EBT dan infrastruktur EBT non listrik seperti biodiesel sulit mencapai target US$ 2 miliar di tahun ini. Belum cukup, kondisi investasi EBT di tahun tahun depan juga diperkirakan tidak bisa pulih 100%.

Sebab, untuk tahun ini saja lelang-lelang proyek pembangkit oleh PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) mengalami penundaan. Bahkan, di tahun lalu tidak ada lelang proyek besar dari PLN, kecuali proyek Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) Bali berkapasitas 2×25 megawatt (MW).

Lalu, proyek-proyek Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi (PLTP) dan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Minihidro (PLTMH) juga masih tertunda. “Kemungkinan investasi EBT bisa pulih di tahun 2022 dengan catatan pandemi Corona tak berlarut-larut lewat dari kuartal II-2020,” ungkap dia, Rabu (3/6).

Ia menyebut, untuk saat ini proyek EBT yang paling realistis dibangun dengan cepat adalah Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) maupun PLTS Atap. Pasalnya, proyek ini tidak memerlukan survei terlalu lama dan masa persiapan proyeknya bisa di bawah 18 bulan. Adapun masa konstruksinya berkisar 9-12 bulan.

Perkiraan Fabby, ada potensi kapasitas sebanyak 200 MW-300 MW dari proyek PLTS yang bisa dieksekusi pemerintah dengan peluang investasi sekitar US$ 160 juta-US$ 240 juta. Akan lebih bagus lagi apabila pemerintah juga memaksimalkan segmen PLTS Atap.

“Kalau tahun depan pemerintah mau dapatkan investasi EBT cepat, caranya adalah memberikan kesempatan kepada industri dan komersial untuk memasang PLTS atap,” terangnya.

Lebih lanjut, tantangan mencapai target investasi EBT tak hanya dari keberadaan pandemi Corona, melainkan kepastian hukum yang belum kunjung didapat para pelaku usaha di sektor tersebut.

Saat ini, para investor masih menunggu penerbitan Peraturan Presiden (Perpres) tentang Feed in Tariff EBT hingga implementasi Peraturan Menteri ESDM No. 4 Tahun 2020 utamanya terkait poin purchasing power agreement (PPA) antara PLN dan pengembang. “Selain itu, investor perlu stimulus pasca Covid-19 lewat program nasional,” tambah Fabby.

Dia mencontohkan, di Malaysia terdapat program LSS@MEnTARI yaitu pengadaan PLTS 2×500 MW untuk menarik investasi 4 miliar ringgit Malaysia. Program ini dibuka untuk perusahaan domestik dan diharapkan dapat menciptakan 12.000 lapangan kerja.

“Ini contoh bagaimana pemerintah menciptakan proyek yang memberi dampak berganda untuk mengatasi kondisi investasi lesu karena wabah Corona,” pungkasnya.

The Jakarta Post | Demand for photovoltaic panels plummets in Indonesia amid pandemic

Norman Harsono | The Jakarta Post

Jakarta, 4 May 2020

Indonesia’s photovoltaic (PV) providers face a bleak business outlook at least in the next six months as the government and individual users cut back spending on anything deemed nonessential amid the pandemic, including solar panels.

Demand for commercial PV panels was down up to 70 percent in the March-April period from a year earlier as businesses aborted installation plans and as, most critically, the government cut back electrification project plans, according to a recent survey conducted by energy think tank Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR).

Meanwhile, demand for residential PV systems dropped by up to 100 percent during the same period as consumers reallocated funding to groceries, bills and savings.

“We see the outlook over the next six months – until the third quarter of 2020 – as largely negative. No new orders,” IESR executive director Fabby Tumiwa said during a virtual press conference on April 21.

The challenges faced by Indonesia’s solar power industry are similar to those across developing renewable markets in Asia, such as India and Vietnam, where local producers are equally exposed to foreign exchange risks and shrinking financial support.

“So far no government has taken a strong stand to support renewables during the downturn,” wrote energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie Asia Pacific in a press note on April 29.

Solar power contributes less than 4 percent to overall energy consumption in the Asia Pacific region but is the fastest-growing renewable energy source worldwide alongside wind power.

In Indonesia’s case, the domestic solar industry is at the mercy of the government, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the electricity business through electrification projects, according to an Indonesian Solar Panel Producers Association (APAMSI) representative.

“That automatically means that a shift in spending will add to the burden on solar producers,” APAMSI chairman Nick Nurrachman told The Jakarta Post on Monday (27/4).

“Due to the COVID lockdown, the industry can close down,” either temporarily or permanently, he said.

The government announced in late March a plan to reallocate Rp 62.3 trillion (US$4.15 billion) from the state budget to tackle the coronavirus. The freed funds would focus on health care, the disbursement of relief funds and financial incentives for enterprises.

Nick added that Indonesian producers also struggled with higher production costs due to the weakening rupiah exchange rate and more costly cross-border logistics. Producers imported 40 percent of the materials used to create solar PV panels, including silicon, junction boxes and glass.

Domestically produced solar PV costs rose between 15 and 20 percent per unit in the March-April period.

Responding to the challenges, APAMSI members were cutting costs and securing Industry Ministry permits to remain open under lockdown in anticipation of new solar PV orders.

“Most members have reduced employee shifts. Production line workers are put on leave – still receiving salary – and indirect staff, particularly marketing, go to work to ensure orders can keep coming in,” said Nick, summarizing workplace changes within the domestic industry.

Meanwhile, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s energy conservation director, Hariyanto, confirmed that the government was slashing state-funded renewable energy project targets but not cancelling them entirely.

He said the ministry had revised down its target for government-funded solar rooftop installations from 800 units to 144 units and for solar-powered streetlamps from 40,000 to 26,000. The lamps are installed in hard-to-reach regions with poor electricity infrastructure.

“There’s a reduction in volume as we refocus the state budget on attainable projects,” he told reporters during a video conference earlier this month (22/4).

Kompas | Daya Beli Masyarakat Turun, Insentif Tarif Listrik Diusulkan

IESR mengusulkan pemberian insentif bagi pelanggan listrik rumah tangga golongan 450 VA dan 900 VA yang tidak mampu. Insentif tersebut berupa penggratisan tarif listrik untuk pemakaian 50 kWh pertama.

Oleh ARIS PRASETYO
·4 menit baca | Kompas

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Penurunan tarif listrik maupun subsidi tarif untuk pelanggan rumah tangga miskin diusulkan sebagai insentif di tengah wabah Covid-19. Usulan ini disampaikan menyusul kian melemahnya daya beli masyarakat akibat terhentinya aktivitas ekonomi selama siaga Covid-19.

Ketua Pengurus Harian Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia (YLKI) Tulus Abadi mengatakan, wabah Covid-19 di Indonesia menyebabkan penghasilan kelompok masyarakat tertentu merosot. Kelompok itu adalah yang pendapatannya berbasis harian. Di situasi seperti ini, daya beli mereka kian melemah.

”Kami mengusulkan tarif listrik diturunkan, khususnya golongan 900 volt ampere. Bahkan, kalau perlu juga golongan 1.300 volt ampere. Usulan kami besaran penurunan sedikitnya Rp 100 per kilowatt jam selama tiga sampai enam bulan ke depan bergantung pada lamanya wabah,” ujar Tulus, Senin (30/3/2020), di Jakarta.

Penurunan tarif tersebut dapat mengurangi beban ekonomi masyarakat yang rentan terdampak wabah Covid-19.

Menurut Tulus, penurunan tarif itu dapat mengurangi beban ekonomi masyarakat yang rentan terdampak wabah Covid-19. Penurunan tarif di tengah merosotnya harga minyak mentah dunia diyakini tidak akan mengganggu biaya pokok penyediaan listrik.

Harga minyak mentah dunia adalah salah satu faktor penentu tarif listrik di Indonesia, selain harga batubara, kurs rupiah terhadap dollar AS, dan inflasi.

Grafis tarif listrik di Indonesia. Empat faktor penentu tarif listrik adalah harga minyak dunia, kurs rupiah terhadap dollar AS, harga batubara, dan inflasi.

 

Sementara itu, Direktur Eksekutif Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) Fabby Tumiwa mengatakan, IESR sudah mengusulkan pemberian insentif bagi pelanggan listrik rumah tangga golongan 450 VA dan 900 VA yang tidak mampu. Insentif tersebut berupa penggratisan tarif listrik untuk pemakaian 50 kWh pertama.

”Mengapa batasannya 50 kWh? Dari berbagai penelitian, konsumsi listrik dalam kewajaran bagi rumah tangga miskin atau tidak mampu sebesar 40 kWh sampai 60 kWh per bulan. Jadi, negara harus menjamin hak energi kelompok tersebut,” kata Fabby.

Menurut Fabby, masyarakat golongan tersebut adalah salah satu golongan yang terdampak wabah Covid-19. Sebagian besar dari mereka bukan pekerja tetap yang mendapat upah rutin setiap bulan. Wabah Covid-19 yang sudah melemahkan aktivitas ekonomi global menyebabkan penghasilan harian mereka terganggu dan berpotensi kesulitan membayar tagihan listrik.

”Kami menghitung, kalau pembebasan tarif untuk pemakaian 50 kWh pertama per rumah tangga, dengan hitungan tarif listrik sekarang, diperlukan penambahan subsidi atau kompensasi kepada PLN sebesar Rp 2,2 triliun hingga Rp 2,3 triliun per bulan,” ucap Fabby.

Kalau pembebasan tarif untuk pemakaian 50 kWh pertama per rumah tangga, dengan hitungan tarif listrik sekarang, diperlukan penambahan subsidi atau kompensasi kepada PLN sebesar Rp 2,2 triliun hingga Rp 2,3 triliun per bulan.

Direktur Eksekutif Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) Fabby Tumiwa di sela-sela acara peluncuran Indonesia Clean Energy Forum (ICEF), Kamis (15/11/2018), di Jakarta. ICEF adalah sebuah forum gagasan untuk mendorong transformasi menuju pemanfaatan energi rendah karbon.

 

Pada 4 Maret 2020, Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) mengumumkan tarif listrik untuk periode April sampai Juni 2020 tidak berubah. Alasan pemerintah, selain untuk menjaga daya beli masyarakat, hampir seluruh harga energi menurun di tengah wabah Covid-19 yang melanda dunia.

Dengan demikian, tarif listrik untuk pelanggan rumah tangga dengan daya 1.300 VA dan 2.200 VA sebesar Rp 1.467 per kWh. Sementara tarif untuk rumah tangga mampu dengan daya 900 VA sebesar Rp 1.352 per kWh.

”Sampai Juni nanti tidak ada penyesuaian tarif. Ini sudah ditetapkan dengan pertimbangan kondisi keekonomian. Adanya wabah Covid-19, suka atau tidak, menyebabkan ekonomi tertekan,” ucap Direktur Jenderal Ketenagalistrikan Kementerian ESDM Rida Mulyana.

Data PLN hingga 2019, jumlah pelanggan listrik PLN mencapai 74,92 juta pelanggan. Dari 38 golongan tarif pelanggan PLN, sebanyak 25 golongan adalah penerima subsidi listrik. Golongan terbesar penerima subsidi listrik adalah rumah tangga 450 VA sebanyak 27,95 juta pelanggan. Berikutnya, rumah tangga 900 VA tak mampu sebanyak 8,04 juta pelanggan.

Dalam delapan tahun terakhir, pemerintah berhasil menekan angka subsidi listrik lewat verifikasi data pelanggan. Selama kurun 2011-2014, angka subsidi listrik berkisar Rp 93 triliun hingga Rp 103 triliun. Sejak 2015 hingga 2018, anggaran subsidi berhasil ditekan menjadi Rp 45 triliun hingga Rp 56 triliun.

Kendaraan Listrik dan Dekarbonisasi Sektor Transportasi Darat Indonesia

Siaran Pers

Transportasi darat sumbang emisi tertinggi dari total emisi gas rumah kaca sektor transportasi di Indonesia

  • Kurangi emisi gas rumah kaca dari sektor transportasi, Indonesia perlu menerapkan instrumen kebijakan untuk meningkatkan jumlah kendaraan listrik dalam menggantikan kendaraan berbahan bakar fosil
  • Di saat harga minyak dunia sedang turun saat ini, pajak karbon yang diterapkan pada bahan bakar fosil merupakan suatu instrumen yang dapat diterapkan di Indonesia untuk meningkatkan jumlah kendaraan listrik sebagai upaya penurunan emisi gas rumah kaca

Jakarta— 29 Maret 2020 — Institute for Essential Services Reform sebagai anggota dari Climate Transparency melakukan kajian mengenai dekarbonisasi sektor transportasi, dengan menganalisis rangkaian instrumen kebijakan yang diperlukan untuk meningkatkan peran kendaraan listrik dalam mendorong ambisi negara mencapai Persetujuan Paris, agar dapat berada di jalur untuk mencapai batasan target kenaikan suhu 2/1,5°C.

Julius C. Adiatma, Clean Fuel Specialist IESR, memaparkan laporan “The Role of Electric Vehicles in Decarbonizing Indonesia’s Road Transport Sector” yang di luncurkan dalam kegiatan Webinar pada Minggu 29 Maret 2020 dan juga melibatkan panelis secara daring, Dr. Mohammad Mustafa Sarinanto, Kepala Balai Besar Teknologi Konversi Energi, BPPT, dan Damantoro, Ketua Masyarakat Transportasi Indonesia Wilayah Jakarta.

“Hasil pemodelan dari studi kami menunjukkan bahwa masuknya kendaraan listrik pada pasar mobil penumpang dan sepeda motor memiliki potensi menurunkan emisi GRK dari sektor transportasi darat, terutama dari penggunaan kendaraan pribadi. Untuk mewujudkan potensi tersebut, dibutuhkan berbagai dukungan kebijakan dari pemerintah, baik kebijakan fiskal maupun non fiskal seperti penyediaan infrastruktur pengisian kendaraan listrik umum. Yang tidak kalah penting adalah mengganti pembangkit batubara dengan energi terbarukan supaya emisi gas rumah kaca tidak berpindah dari transportasi ke pembangkit” menurut Julius.

Di Indonesia, emisi dari sektor transportasi hampir mencapai 30% dari total emisi CO2, dimana emisi tertinggi terutama berasal dari transportasi darat, yang berkontribusi pada 88% dari total emisi di sektor ini (IEA, 2015). Termasuk di dalamnya adalah mobil penumpang dan sepeda motor, yang tumbuh dengan pesat seiring dengan penggunaannya sebagai moda perjalanan utama di daerah perkotaan. Misalnya, penjualan mobil domestik telah bertumbuh lebih dari dua kali lipat dalam 15 tahun terakhir (dari 480 ribu unit pada tahun 2004 menjadi di atas 1 juta unit pada tahun 2019). Tren ini diprediksi akan terus meningkat, dan dengan demikian, sektor transportasi akan terus menjadi salah satu penghasil emisi utama di negara ini. Namun, rencana mitigasi dari pemerintah untuk sektor transportasi yang tercantum dalam NDC, masih terbatas pada pengalihan bahan bakar menjadi bahan bakar nabati dan perluasan stasiun pengisian bahan bakar gas bumi. Sementara itu, peran kendaraan listrik (termasuk hibrida, hibrida plug-in, dan kendaraan listrik baterai), yang banyak dilihat oleh beberapa pakar sebagai kunci dalam mengurangi emisi GRK di sektor ini, masih belum dimasukkan dalam NDC Indonesia.

Indonesia harus mengambil tindakan mitigasi perubahan iklim secara drastis di sektor transportasi. Menurut proyeksi The Climate Action Tracker, total emisi Indonesia (tidak termasuk LULUCF) setara dengan 3,75 – 4% dari total emisi global pada tahun 2030. Agar sejalan dengan 1,5°C, proporsi bahan bakar rendah karbon di bauran bahan bakar transportasi harus meningkat menjadi sekitar 60% pada tahun 2050.

Climate Action Tracker menjabarkan skenario 1,5°C yang kompatibel untuk Indonesia, yang membatasi emisi dari sektor transportasi menjadi 2 MtCO2e pada tahun 2050. Skenario ini mencakup peningkatan penggunaan transportasi umum, peningkatan ekonomi bahan bakar kendaraan konvensional, dan elektrifikasi 100% kendaraan penumpang darat (mobil, motor, dan bus) pada tahun 2050. Untuk mencapai 100% elektrifikasi kendaraan pada tahun 2050, Indonesia perlu menghentikan penjualan kendaraan berbahan bakar fosil antara tahun 2035 s.d. 2040, dengan asumsi masa pakai kendaraan 15 tahun. Dengan penetrasi pasar kendaraan listrik yang sangat rendah saat ini, maka pemerintah perlu menerapkan kebijakan yang mendukung untuk mencapai target ini.

Di sisi lain, dengan bauran listrik saat ini, penetrasi kendaraan listrik akan meningkatkan emisi karbon di Indonesia. Peningkatan emisi ini, sebagian besar terkait dengan pembangkitan listrik dari sumber bahan bakar fosil. Selain itu, emisi juga berasal dari produksi komponen dalam kendaraan listrik, terutama baterai. Namun, sekalipun Indonesia dapat mencapai daya bauran energi terbarukan 23% pada tahun 2025, penggunaan mobil listrik diprediksi akan menghasilkan emisi karbon sekitar 2,6% lebih rendah dibanding mobil konvensional.

Erina Mursanti, Program Manager Green Economy IESR, mengatakan, dalam situasi rendahnya harga minyak dunia saat ini yang turun hingga lebih dari 50% (dari harga acuan yang tertera pada Nota Keuangan APBN 2020), pemerintah sebaiknya menerapkan pajak karbon pada pemakaian bahan bakar fosil, alih-alih menurunkan harga bahan bakar minyak dalam negeri; dimana hasil penerimaan pajak ini dapat digunakan untuk pengembangan industri kendaraan listrik.

Unduh siaran pers

Narahubung Pers:

Gandabhaskara Saputra, ganda@iesr.or.id