Expanding Indonesia’s geothermal development  

The Jakarta Post has an article on plans to expand geothermal power generation in Indonesia - Indonesia’s geothermal development.

Indonesia, which lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, holds approximately 40 percent of the world’s geothermal reserves, equivalent to about 27,000 megawatts of electrical power. Most of the geothermal potential is found in Sumatra (13,800 MW), Java and Bali (9,250 MW), and Sulawesi (2,000 MW), while smaller pockets are found scattered across the archipelago.

Geothermal energy is a type the world currently favors to combat global warming. Its price is not volatile, such as that of fossil fuels, meaning that in the long term, the costs associated with using geothermal power can be cheaper and less risky than that of fossil fuels.

While geothermal energy is clean and renewable, can be used locally (is not exportable), has a very reliable supply, has low and stable electricity-dispatching costs, and is concentrated in Java and Sumatra (which are home to large numbers of consumers of electricity), then why has Indonesia’s geothermal potential not been adequately developed?

The installed capacity of our geothermal power plants (Kamojang, Salak, Dieng, Lahendong, etc.) is still about 1,189 MW, lagging behind that of the Philippines and the United States.

The government plans to implement its second 10,000-MW power development program, where about 48 percent (4,733 MW) of the power generated will come from geothermal plants. The plan is to start delivering the electricity by 2014.