Biomass electricity tariff to be based on US dollar

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) has decided to postpone the issuance of a new regulation on the electricity tariff from new biomass power plants pending completion of discussion with Bank Indonesia, the central bank, Bisnis Indonesia reported Friday.

The ministry was supposed to issue the new regulation this month.

The paper quoted Director for Bioenergy at the Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy at the ministry, Tisnaldi as saying that under the planned new regulation, the electricity tariff from new biomass power plants will be based on US cents instead of the rupiah.

However, considering that Bank Indonesia has issued a ruling requiring the use of the rupiah in domestic transaction, the ministry needs to discuss the power tariff regulation with the central bank first, Tisnaldi said. (*)