By: Drs. H. M. Tasriq Usman, MM.Pd.
Expert Advisor to the Governor of South Kalimantan for Government and Public Welfare
Electricity has become a basic need for the community. When the power goes out for hours, it stops not only lighting but also economic activity, public services, education, and public comfort. Therefore, power outages are not just a technical issue, but also concern public trust.
Recently, the people of South Kalimantan have again faced rolling blackouts. PT PLN (Persero) explained that the situation was caused by technical problems with generating units, network maintenance, and disruptions to the Kalimantan electricity interconnection system. This explanation is certainly commendable as a form of initial responsibility to the community.
However, in an era of open information, general explanations are no longer sufficient. The public has the right to know clearly what actually happened. What kind of disturbance occurred? Which generating unit was damaged? Why did the impact spread to cause rolling blackouts for hours? And most importantly, what guarantees that similar incidents won’t happen again?
PLN needs to convey the facts openly, completely, and easily understood. Transparency isn’t about finding scapegoats, but rather about building trust. When the public understands the root of the problem, they will more easily accept the unavoidable emergency situation.
If the cause is related to coal supply, be honest. South Kalimantan is known as one of the largest coal-producing regions in Indonesia. It would be ironic if a region, a major energy hub, were to experience an energy supply crisis for its own people. Conversely, if the problem is purely due to power plant damage, delayed maintenance, or a weak interconnection system, then that too must be communicated openly.
Transparency of information will prevent speculation from spreading among the public. In the public sphere, rumors often spread faster than clarification. When official information arrives late or is too normative, the public will seek their own answers, which may not necessarily be accurate.
Equally important is a comprehensive evaluation of the regional electricity system. A disruption to a single power plant shouldn’t immediately have widespread impacts if backup systems and risk management are optimal. This means that this momentum should be a time for introspection for PLN to strengthen the reliability of its power plants, increase reserve capacity, accelerate network modernization, and ensure maintenance is carried out before further damage occurs.
The impact of blackouts should not be underestimated. MSMEs lose income, frozen food vendors suffer losses, healthcare services face operational challenges, and even public learning activities are disrupted. The resulting economic losses are often far greater than what appears on the surface.
Therefore, the public should not simply wait for the power to be restored, but also for assurance that this issue is being addressed seriously. PLN needs to provide a clear recovery roadmap, targets for improving system reliability, and concrete steps to prevent similar disruptions from occurring again in the near future.
Public trust is built not solely on the ability to repair damage, but on the courage to honestly explain the causes, a sincere assessment of weaknesses, and consistent delivery of improved service.
The people of South Kalimantan are not demanding anything excessive. They simply want a reliable electricity supply, transparent information, and a concrete commitment that similar incidents will not become a recurring occurrence. Because when power outages occur, what should not be lost is public trust in public service providers.
Daffa Ibrahim
