KOTA KINABALU: Sabah remote regions can soon enjoy lesser cost of power generation under the Sabah Renewable Energy Rural Electrification Roadmap (Sabah RE2 Roadmap).
The initiative is in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to reduce the economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity (against GDP) by 45 per cent in 2030.
The 12MP also highlights Malaysia's aspirations to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, besides attaining 31 and 40 per cent of renewable energy in 2025 and 2035, respectively.
For the Sabah RE2 Roadmap, it would implement the renewable energy mini-grids for at least half of the state's unelectrified remote villages by 2027.
The initiative also supports Sabah's rural communities to design and implement community-managed solar and micro-hydro mini-grids in their villages.
Furthermore, Sabah is home to eight of the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia - Tongod, Pitas, Kota Marudu, Beluran, Kudat, Nabawan, Telupid, and Kota Belud.
The current lack of basic utilities saw many rural communities leave their ancestral home in search of work elsewhere.
Those who remain have to bear with the high cost of diesel powered generators that can only last four hours a day.
According to 12MP, Sabahans pay 34.52 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity while the cost of generating it stands at 47.85 cents per kilowatt hour, the balance is subsidised by the federal government.
"I have children working in Kota Kinabalu. They seldom return home, now even less during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Whatever income they make is only enough to sustain themselves.
"Diesel for the generator costs about RM15 per gallon. To go back and forth from here to Nabawan [for fuel] is RM80," said a village chief of Kampung Sumabi, Pensiangan in Nabawan district.
For Ejai Ensos from Kampung Sabibingkol, for example, the hybrid micro-hydro solar grid installed since 2017 had given a positive impact on his education.
"My exam results used to be terrible, as I was not able to study at night. Now with electricity, my results have improved as I have a lot more time to study," said Ensos who aspired to become a teacher in his village.