Access to Environmentally Friendly Energy and Capacity Building for Communities in the 3T Frontier, Outermost and Least Developed Region Through the Corporate Social Responsibility Program

Abstract

PT. Pertamina EP Asset 5 Tarakan Field (PEP Tarakan Field) is one of the upstream oil and gas companies that play an active role in improving the community's welfare around its operational area through social responsibility programs. Through renewable energy access, community empowerment was one of the activities carried out in Tepian Village, Sembakung District, Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan Province. This activity aimed to provide an alternative energy source that is environmentally friendly and more cost-effective to help reduce the cost of living for the underprivileged communities in the village. The concept of implementing the social responsibility program adapted by Tarakan Field consists of 4 elements: Organizing Identity, Organizing Transactivity, Organizing System, and Organizing Accountability. The program implementation began with a social mapping that includes data on beneficiaries of the diesel generator conversion program into a Solar-cell Home System. Then, conducted a Focus Group Discussion with village officials and related agencies to listen to suggestions and input on this program. Approximately 30 housing units/140 people from the pre-prosperous group became the beneficiaries of this program. Several residents were also given training in maintenance skills of the Solar-cell Home System unit, following the standards and procedures implemented by the company. Periodically, monitoring is also carried out to see how far the beneficiaries feel the program's impact. In addition, the implementation of monitoring was also helpful to detect obstacles encountered in program implementation so that improvements could be made immediately. Evaluation is carried out every year and at the end of the program mentoring period to see how far the beneficiaries feel the program's impact. Monitoring and evaluation carried out by Tarakan Field also involved other agencies such as academics to involve various disciplines. After this program was implemented, there was a 50% living costs reduction of the underprivileged groups because they no longer needed to buy diesel to turn on the diesel generator as a source of electrical energy. In addition, there is a reduction in carbon emissions from diesel generators and a decrease in noise levels in the environment around the village. This social responsibility program also supported the government's third point in the Nawacita programs: to build Indonesia from the margins and support the program to achieve the seven sustainable development goals (SDGs), namely clean and affordable energy. In 2017, this program became a trigger for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Republic of Indonesia assistance program in the form of a Solar-cell unit with a capacity of 75 kWp, which can accommodate the needs of the entire house network in Tepian Village.