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PALU — The business community in Central Sulawesi is seeking certainty over electricity supplies amid disruptions to the power system linked to the El Niño phenomenon. The issue was one of the main topics discussed during a Business Dinner between the Central Sulawesi Provincial Leadership Council (DPP) of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO) and PLN’s North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo Main Distribution Unit (PLN Suluttenggo).

The meeting, held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Koloni Coworking Space on the second floor of Café Yolks on Jalan Monginsidi, Palu, provided a forum for businesspeople to convey their concerns and hear PLN’s explanation regarding electricity supply conditions in Central Sulawesi.

PLN Suluttenggo was represented by Public Relations Manager Noven, Planning Assistant Manager Made, Finance and General Affairs Assistant Manager of PLN UP3 Palu Natalia, and Commercial and Marketing Assistant Manager Fuad.

The Central Sulawesi DPP APINDO delegation was led by Chairman Wijaya Chandra, accompanied by Secretary Ito Lawputra and Treasurer Andres Ang. Also attending were Muh. Renu Adiguna, Handri Pinatik, Murtalib, Udin Salim, Tasman Banto, and Leopold.

During the meeting, PLN Palu Commercial and Marketing Assistant Manager Fuad explained that Central Sulawesi’s electricity system is currently under pressure due to declining water flows at several power-generation sources.

According to Fuad, the situation is linked to the El Niño phenomenon, which has caused a number of rivers to dry up, including Lake Poso, one of the key sources supporting the region’s electricity system.

“If El Niño were not occurring, Central Sulawesi’s electricity system would have a surplus of around 300 megawatts, out of total available capacity of 3,000 megawatts,” Fuad said during the meeting.

He said electricity demand in Central Sulawesi currently stands at approximately 2,700 megawatts.

The declining water level of Lake Poso has also affected electricity supplies to Palu. Of the approximately 500 megawatts normally supplied to the area, only around 90 megawatts is currently being supplied from the Poso system.

The situation has forced PLN to implement system-management measures, including rolling power outages, as part of efforts to maintain a balance between electricity supply and demand.

Fuad said PLN could not yet determine when the situation would fully return to normal. The El Niño phenomenon, which emerged earlier than previously anticipated, has added to the challenges facing Central Sulawesi’s power system.

PLN, he said, has prepared mitigation measures to maintain the reliability of electricity supplies. One of these measures is the deployment of diesel generators to help meet electricity demand from households and businesses across Central Sulawesi.

The measure is expected to serve as a temporary solution for maintaining electricity supplies, particularly amid growing energy demand driven by economic activity and business operations.

For businesses, certainty of electricity supply is a key factor in maintaining operational continuity. Power disruptions can affect production activities, services, and companies’ operating costs.

For this reason, dialogue between APINDO and PLN is considered important to build a shared understanding of the condition of the electricity system while identifying solutions that can support business activities.

During the meeting, business representatives also compared independent energy options, including diesel generators and the development of solar power plants (PLTS), with electricity supplied by PLN.

PLN said electricity tariffs available to customers are relatively more economical than the costs businesses would incur if they had to build and operate their own power-generation facilities to meet their operational needs.

APINDO Central Sulawesi expressed hope that communication and collaboration with PLN would continue to be strengthened. Forums of this kind are considered important to ensure that electricity-related issues directly affecting businesses can be promptly discussed and addressed.

APINDO Central Sulawesi Chairman Wijaya Chandra emphasized the importance of maintaining continuous communication between the business community and PLN, particularly in dealing with challenges that could affect the region’s business climate.

The collaboration, he said, should go beyond addressing current electricity supply conditions and continue toward building a more reliable energy system capable of supporting Central Sulawesi’s economic growth.

As electricity demand continues to increase alongside expanding economic activity, energy security and supply certainty remain important factors in maintaining the competitiveness and sustainability of businesses in Central Sulawesi.

Source: Radar Palu