TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nine areas are threatened with electricity deficits from 22 major power grids in Indonesia, said Jarman, director general of Electricity, after the National Energy Board's 13th plenary meeting at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, yesterday.

Jarman said these areas are located mostly in the Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi grids, where electricity supply is not sufficient to meet customers' demand. Every year, the demand for power increases while transmission development target is hardly met. There is also the problem of delayed power generator constructions.

According to Jarman, the fastest solution that can be done now is renting power plants that use gas fuel. Another solution, which would take a longer time, is to rush the construction of power plants scheduled for completion in 2015.

State power company PT PLN president director Nur Pamudji said the deficit is more caused by increasing power consumption. "Not because reserves are down," he said. In addition, many projects development were delayed.

National Energy Board member Sonny Keraf said each region has different problems of electricity supply. But the most basic problem, he said, is regarding land permits and acquisition. "There are regencies with high electricity needs, but their policies are not very supportive," he said.

AYU PRIMA SANDI