TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - For three years, Umbu Hinggu Panjanji has been trapped in a dilemma. The Mbakuhau micro-hydro power plant (PLTMH) turbine, managed by the Jasa Peduli Kasih Multipurpose Cooperative (KSU), still supplies electricity to the residents of Kamanggih village, Kahaungu Eti Sub-district, East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. However, the power purchase agreement between the cooperative and the state electricity company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), in the region expired in 2023 with no clarity on its extension.
As a result, the cooperative led by Hinggu Panjanji has lost its revenue, threatening the survival of the small-scale community electricity manager. "But we cannot possibly cut off the electricity because we feel sorry for the people there; they would certainly be left in the dark," Hinggu said on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Over the past decade, KSU Jasa Peduli Kasih has been well-known as an example of successful community-based renewable energy management. They built and have operated the Mbakuhau micro-hydro plant since 2011 to provide electricity to the hamlets of Unggurundi and Manggawuru in Kamanggih, which previously had no access to PLN’s grid. The turbine, driven by the flow of the Mbakuhau River, can supply up to 37 kilowatts, more than enough to meet the electricity needs of Kamanggih residents.
Since 2013, the Mbakuhau plant’s distribution network has been connected to PLN’s power system—making KSU Jasa Peduli Kasih one of the few communities able to partner with the state-owned power company. The power purchase cooperation was a win-win for both parties.
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