Sabah’s power needs increasing at alarming rate — IDS chairman
KOTA KINABALU: Electricity requirements in Sabah are increasing at an alarming rate and the conventional fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are presently being used for electricity.
For reason of resource security, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and energy security this fossil energy source might not be sufficient, Institute for Development Studies Sabah (IDS) chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence Bongkos Malakun said.
Due to this, the government is seriously looking into harnessing natural resources which are potentially in producing sustainable green energy such as biomass, mini-hydro, geothermal, micro-algae and tidal technologies, he said at the opening of IDS’s seminar on renewable energy here yesterday.
The seminar was officiated by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Raymond Tan on behalf of Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.
Malakun said that although renewable energy development was still in its infancy in Sabah, the government had been providing necessary policy guidelines, infrastructure, incentives, technical and financial assistance to fully capitalise on the huge potential of renewable energy sources in Sabah.
The state government, he pointed out, had also encouraged the private sector, stakeholders and relevant associations to focus on the benefit of renewable energy in Sabah.
Work had already been started to transform Sabah’s northern region town, Kudat into the state’s centre for solar photovoltaic electricity generation, he added.
“Therefore, the concept of Renewable Energy must be understood by all especially policymakers, academics and research institutions. In view of this, the IDS Sabah is organising a one-day seminar to address on how Sabah can capitalise its renewable energy sources and support the state’s transition to a green economy,” he said.
On the seminar on scaling renewable enery in Sabah, Malakun said the main objectives were to increase Sabah communities’ awareness on the benefits of renewable energy as the future energy in line with the government’s plan to reduce diesel subsidies in the country and diminish greenhouse gas emissions and to provide updates on government policies and programs that support renewable energy establishment.
It also aims to provide the latest information related to advancement made in green technology in Sabah, especially in the rural areas and provide information related to new business and investors opportunity.
“I believe this seminar organised by IDS Sabah will open up opportunities for all of us to share our opinions, expertise and as an initiative to expedite Renewable Energy implementation at the state level,” he said.
Malakun also disclosed that over the last four years, lDS had been organising a number of seminars in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) relating to Green Energy, including today’s seminar, such as Seminar on ‘Greening of Sabah: Renewable Energy options for the near Future’ in 2013; Seminar on Sustainable Green Energy for a Greener Sabah in 2014, Seminar on Renewable Energy: Electrification For Rural Community in 2015 and Seminar on Renewable Energy: Energy Access for Poverty Eradication in 2016.