Sci&Tech History

Several months ago, I was involved in a project to observe relation between energy access and poverty. In my presentation, my closing question is should we reduce energy price so poor families can buy energy or we choose to use other programs to increase their welfare and as the consequence increase their ability to buy energy? The discussion run with a lot of debate and ends up with no clear conclusion. One point I want to highlight from the discussion is about calculation: how human calculate their energy needs and how this calculation effect their behavior.

Since The New Era, people in the villages is use to get cheap kerosene. The problem emerge when Indonesia become a net oil importer and kerosene production become very expensive. To reduce national subsidy for energy, especially kerosene, Indonesian government launched kerosene conversion into gas program. In several area, this program also supported with other energy diversification such as bio gas, wood, and coal. In general, the program is quite success, although it stimulate another problem: gas scarcity.

For me the problem is very clear, we found difficulties in counting and anticipating. Yes, I know, beside technicalities issues, political will and interest become one of the most difficult problem to solve. And yes, oil regime is still dominant. Kerosene stove, cars, machine were designed for oil. Moreover, there are differences from the business model emerged: centralized versus decentralized. How can we manage decentralization?

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