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Continued opposition to Bedugul project in Bali, Indonesia

Continued opposition to Bedugul project in Bali, Indonesia A Sacred Journey from the Sea to the Mountains, Lake Beratan, Bedugul, Bali, Indonesia (source: flickr/ januartha, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 14 May 2015

Local population stopped the project back in 2005 since Balinese religious beliefs find the hills sacred.

Local news from Indonesia reflect that new proposals to restart the suspended geothermal power-generating project in Bedugul Bali are again meeting with strong opposition.

Public opposition to PT Tenaga Bumi Bali’s (TBB) geothermal power-generating project grows despite having recently received pledges of support from members of the Bali House of Representatives (DPRD-Bali); and the PDI, Gerinda and Golkar parties.

The project was suspended in 2005 after widespread community protests and a formal resolution in opposition from the DPRD-Bali. 

Governor Pastika has restated his refusal to allow the geothermal project in Bedugul in a statement from his office on May 6, 2015. The Governor’s spokesman said that despite Bali continuing power shortage, there are still many other sources of energy that can be explored, even though geothermal energy sources are considered environmentally friendly.

The Governor’s office said that the people of Bali would never tolerate any geothermal project that trespasses on protected forest area in a religiously sacred area of Bali. Balinese religious belief holds that the forested areas in the hills at Bedugul are home to the headwaters of Bali and must remain undisturbed.

Because the opposition to the project was formalized with a DPRD-Bali resolution in 2005, any permission to now allow the Bedugul Geothermal project to resume would require a new resolution and majority approval from the House.

Source: Bali Discovery