(9/19/2009)
A sub-sea interconnecting high-voltage cable carrying power from Java to Bali failed on Wednesday evening, September 15, 2009, plunging much of Bali into darkness starting from 7:05 p.m..
Frantic efforts to restore the peak demand capacity of 440 megawatt returned power in some areas within a half-hour, however, many consumers sat in the dark until late in the evening before power was fully restored.
The failure was traced to an interconnection circuit beneath the Java-Bali straits that officials claim was stuck by lightning resulting in the sudden loss of 100 megawatts of transmission power.
The head of the Bali Consumer's Bureau, Putu Armaya, criticized the State Power Board (PLN) for their second major power outage to affect Bali since May 31, 2009, claiming the failures could form the basis for formal claims by consumers affected by the outage.
Armaya said that if PLN does not compensate consumers, his group could lead such a class action suite against the utility.
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