Aceh – After several days of power outages caused by natural disasters, residents of Banda Aceh have finally regained a stable electricity supply.
The power system in the Banda Aceh area has been successfully restored after previously experiencing a total shutdown, marking the return of a vital basic service much needed by the community in the aftermath of the disaster.
This restoration became an emotional moment for PT PLN (Persero). PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo, who directly monitored the reconnection of the Aceh power system to the Sumatra interconnection system, expressed his gratitude when indicators in the monitoring room showed normal conditions.
“Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin… Takbir…!” Darmawan exclaimed enthusiastically, which was immediately echoed in unison by PLN employees shouting, “Allahu Akbar!”
Darmawan explained that the accelerated power restoration was carried out following direct instructions from President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, who emphasized the importance of restoring public services and community activities in disaster-affected areas.
“In accordance with the directives of President Prabowo Subianto and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, we continue to accelerate post-disaster electricity recovery efforts in Aceh. Praise be to God, the process has gone smoothly and the Banda Aceh power system has now been fully restored,” said Darmawan.
This commitment to restoring basic services aligns with the central government’s assertion that the state has been working since the onset of the disaster.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya previously emphasized that disaster response efforts in Aceh and other parts of Sumatra began on the first day, without waiting for any specific status designation.
“From the very first day, the state has been present and at work,” Teddy said, underscoring that all elements of the government and state-owned enterprises moved simultaneously to ensure that vital services resumed functioning.
Additional support for the recovery came from PLN’s South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and West Sulawesi Main Distribution Unit (UID Sulselrabar), which deployed a second-wave special team to North Aceh.
General Manager of PLN UID Sulselrabar, Edyansyah, emphasized that PLN will continue to deploy personnel and logistical support.
“Our colleagues on the ground remain on the front lines to ensure that electricity is restored for the community,” he said.
PLN recorded that a total of 3,157 villages in Aceh Province have regained access to electricity.
Overall, the normalization rate of electricity services has reached approximately 92 percent, and recovery efforts continue to be accelerated until all areas of Aceh are fully supplied with electricity under normal conditions.
