Governor asks Chevron to help local people

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 02/13/2010 6:07 PM

West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan has asked the US-based energy giant PT Chevron Geothermal Indonesia (CGI) to do more to help the community who live around their geothermal power plant in Garut.

Ahmad said during his visit to the CGI operational area on Saturday the province’s population of 42 million lived on only Rp 660,000 (US$71) per month on average, far below the US minimum standard of living of $2,500.

With poverty still rampant in the province, Ahmad expected the company to help the local government improve the education and health standard of the people, Antara reported.

The governor also asked the company to support rehabilitation of critical land in Garut, which he said was vulnerable to landslide, through green activities.

Ahmad said he visited the CGI plant not to “extort” the company, but to ask the management to empower and assist local people so as to avoid social upheavals.

PT CGI operates Darajat geothermal power plant, which produces 295 megawatts of electricity.

Chevron is the only foreign company currently developing geothermal energy in Indonesia, whose geothermal resource base is believed to be able to produce over 27,700 MW of electricity, or 40 percent of the world's reserve.