In Bali, for example, state-owned electricity company PLNs Bali office predicted that the electricity consumption on the tourist resort island of Bali will decline by 41 megawatts (MW) in anticipation of the Earth Hour when lamps and electronic devices are turned off for one hour.
"Last year, we had recorded a fall in the electricity consumption by five percent or 36 MW during the Earth Hour. This year, we predict it will decline by 41 MW," PLN Spokesman for Bali Distribution, Melva Yumawati, said in Bali on Saturday.
According to Yumawati, power consumption during the peak hour in Bali in 2016 reaches 822 MW. Thanks to the Earth Hour, the electricity consumption will certainly drop during the peak hour.
This year, the Earth Hour fell on March 19, 2016 and was marked from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. local time.
"The fall in electricity consumption in Bali during the Earth Hour will depend on how aware people are about turning off their lamps and electronic appliances for one hour," Yumawati said.
The Earth Hour is being observed at the Catur Muka Statue with street campaigns, a renewable energy expo and numerous other entertainment performances being organized to popularize the program.
Bali has been taking part in the Earth Hour event in March every year. The local people of Bali showed their commitment to the event by turning off their lamps and electronic devices for 60 minutes.
Participation in the Earth Hour is expected to cut the amount of carbon emissions, blamed for climate change. Peoples participation in the Earth Hour event is a sign that they care for their planet.
PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has called on the public to turn off their lamps from 08.30 p.m. to 09.30 p.m. on Saturday night to observe the Earth Hour.
"The Earth Hour lends a strategic momentum to the efforts to remind the public of the need to use electrical power as efficiently as possible to minimize climate change," acting chief of PT PLN corporate communication unit, Agung Murdifi, said on Saturday.
He expressed the hope that the movement would serve as a means to encourage the public to adopt an environment-friendly lifestyle.
"This is a global campaign to call on all inhabitants of this planet, including individuals, communities, businessmen and governments, to be aware of the efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which trigger global warming and climate change," he said.
The Earth Hour has a significant impact. Last year, during the Earth Hour on March 28, PLN recorded that the electricity load in Jakarta was at 3,322 MW, down by 165 MW or 4.73 percent compared to 3,487 MW on March 14, 2015.
Meanwhile, the electricity load in the densely-populated island of Java during the same hour on March 28 last year was recorded at 4,072 MW, down 19 MW or 0.22 percent compared to 4,091 MW for the same hour on March 14 last year.
The Jakarta administration participated in the event by turning off lights in six locations in the city, including the City Hall and the buildings around Monas (National Monument).
Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, through his Twitter account, has appealed to all residents in the city to participate in the initiative.
"(I) appeal to all community members in Jakarta to turn off their lights from 20:30 to 21:30 hours, which is #EarthHour2016," he said on his Twitter account.
Lights atop the "Welcome" Monument at Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Jakartas city center were turned off on Saturday evening to mark the Earth Hour 2016.
A resident who witnessed the moment expressed hope that the commemoration would increase peoples awareness about the climate change.
"There is hope that change will happen," the resident, Ebil, who is a member of DHL biking community, said.
Ian, another member of the community, hoped the number of motorists in the city would decline.
"It is hoped that the Earth Hour will help remind motorists to be more environment friendly," he said.
Lights in other landmark structures were also turned off, such as at hotels and office buildings around the area.
"If all the street lights are also turned off, the situation could be even more solemn," Ian said.
The National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta turned off its lights at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday evening as it participated in the global Earth Hour program.
Based on Antaras monitoring on Saturday evening, the Monas authority turned off the lights around the Monas square. Office buildings around Monas also turned off their lights.
The Earth Hour was observed throughout the world in 24 time zones and five continents at 8.30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 19, 2016. The lights remained off till 9.30 p.m. local time everywhere.
The aim of the Earth Hour program is to highlight the need to adopt an energy efficient lifestyle. It achieves this purpose by turning off lamps and electronic devices for one hour. It is a public campaign undertaken towards the end of March every year. Indonesia has been taking part in it since 2008.
Deputy Speaker of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) Mahyudin has backed the Earth Hour program of the World Wild Fund (WWF), to be carried out simultaneously across the world on Saturday night.
"It is a good idea to call on the people to turn off their lights for an hour," Mahyudin said in a press statement received by Antara on Saturday.
Although the lights will be turned off only for one hour, it will have an extraordinarily positive impact. While saving on electricity significantly, the Earth Hour program also serves as a means of education to convince people to adopt an environment-friendly lifestyle.
Although it is only for one hour, we (by turning off our lamps) set an example for the people to preserve the environment and reduce carbon emissions which trigger global warming," noted Mahyudin.
Since 2008, the environmental campaign in the form of Earth Hour, initiated by the WWW, has been carried out in many countries in the world.
This year, it will be observed on Saturday, March 19, 2016 between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. In Indonesia, the Earth Hour activity is centered at the Buddhist Temple of Borobudur in Central Java. In Jakarta, it is held at the National Monument square and at a number of malls and department stores.
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Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
