PPCC dedicated to strategic energy management, promoting sustainable devt

KUCHING (Jan 23): The Power Planning and Coordination Committee (PPCC) of the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (Mintred) is committed to advancing the state government’s strategic energy management and promoting sustainable development, said Deputy Sarawak Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

On Jan 17 this year, he chaired a PPCC meeting in his capacity as Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment at Wisma Sumber Alam in Petra Jaya here, Mintred said in a press release yesterday.

The meeting was convened to deliberate strategies related to the coordination, planning and allocation of power supply in Sarawak, Mintred added.

“This involved a comprehensive review and evaluation of the balance between supply and demand for power in the state, as well as an examination of the sequence and timing of major investment projects in power generation and relevant network developments.”

Additionally, the PPCC meeting put forth recommendations for the allocation of power to specific strategic customers, guided by the state’s policies aimed at prioritising inbound investments, the statement read.

Operating under Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) and chaired by Awang Tengah, the PPCC was initially established during the early stages of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) as an avenue to oversee the strategic development and distribution of power dedicated to bulk industries.

On June 12 last year, the PPCC was revitalised to address and coordinate the surge in power requests from various agencies.

This initiative led to the establishment of a centralised body, tasked with coordinating the overall planning of power development and supply for Sarawak.

Under the leadership of Awang Tengah, with Sarawak Energy serving as the joint Secretariat and appointed secretariat members from Mintred, the PPCC stands as a testament to Sarawak’s dedication to responsible and forward-thinking energy governance.

The Jan 17, 2024 meeting was attended by Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki and Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni.

Also in attendance was Sarawak Energy Group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili along with representatives of various other agencies.