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akartans may have less blackouts when state-owned power firm PT PLN boosts electricity supply for the city to address the increased demand of the coming years.

The demand for electricity in Jakarta is expected to rise from the current 6,000 megawatts to 9,800 megawatts.

The combined demand for Java and Bali islands is up to 21,000 megawatts.

PLN director Murtaqi Syamsudin recently said the firm would boost electricity supply for the capital by 500 kilovolts.

'We will use an existing tower network which has a total capacity of 150 kilovolts,' Nur Pamudji said in a press statement made available for The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

PLN president director Nur Pamudji said the firm would also build underground power cables to connect power plants in the capital's west and east corridors.

'The cable will function when power disruptions occur in either of the corridors,' he said.

Zaenab, a baker who also owns a boarding house in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, lauded PLN's plan as her area has been regularly affected by rolling blackouts and she relies heavily on electricity to keep both businesses going.

'Usually PLN, through the neighborhood unit leader, announces blackouts prior to their occurrence [but] sometimes it happens without an announcement. It will be so much better without blackouts,' she said.

'I don't want to buy a generator because it is too expensive and noisy.'

Governor Joko Widodo welcomed the plan, saying that the additional supply was in line with the administration's plan to expand the capital's mass transportation network.

'We will need an abundant supply of electricity for the commuter line, mass rapid transit [MRT] system and monorail,' Jokowi said.

The administration plans to start the construction of the MRT's first track, set to connect Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta and Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, this year.

The 15.7-kilometer track is expected to be ready by 2017.

The administration is also eager to resume the long-stalled monorail project and aims to add 1,000 new Transjakarta buses this year.

Currently, the capital's power needs have been supplied by 500-kilovolt high voltage distribution plants (Gitet) in Bekasi; Cawang, East Jakarta; Cibinong, Bogor regency; Depok; Gandul, South Jakarta; Kembangan, West Jakarta; and Balaraja, Tangerang. All are connected to the Java-Bali power network system.

Power plants in Muara Karang and Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta and in Lontar, Banten, have also supplied power to the city.

PLN also plans to connect high voltage distribution plants in Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta; Muara Karang and Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta to Muara Tawar plant in Bekasi so that the plant in Muara Tawar ' with a capacity of 1,500 megawatts ' would be able to supply power to the capital.

The firm aims to boost Muara Tawar plant's capacity to 2,200 megawatts.

'We will also connect Cawang and Gandul distribution plants and boost the capacity to secure power supply for Jakarta,' Murtaqi said.