MINISTER of Public Utilities Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi said rural folk in the most remote and inaccessible areas unable to connect to the grid will not be left out.

The reason is that the state is implementing innovative solutions through off-grid Alternative Hybrid Rural Electrification Project (Hybrid) and Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES) to bridge the rural-urban divide.

He disclosed that the Rural Electrification Schemes covering the state had increased from 66 per cent in 2009 to 86 per cent in 2015 with 61,000 more rural households enjoying 24-hour electricity supply.

In his winding-up speech on the sixth day of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday, Dr Rundi estimated the number of households yet to get electricity at 41,000. The plan for the electrification of these households is extending the grid to villages accessible by road that comprise 11,000 households.

Another 18,000 households will be connected with completion of the rural road connectivity projects for these villages, and extension of the grid into rural areas.

As for the remaining villages comprising 12,000 households in the most remote areas, the government plans to implement standalone schemes utilising renewable energy under Hybrid and SARES.

There is also a need to meet rapid growth catalysed by demand through large investments under the SCORE agenda and pursue sustainable development for power generation by harnessing abundant resources of hydro, coal and gas.

The transmission system in the state has been expanded and strengthened to transmit power and enhance system reliability to load centres. The 500kV second transmission backbone stretches across the state from Similaju to Tondong, and when completed end of 2016 will connect the southern region.

Other major ongoing or planned transmission system expansion and reinforcement projects are transmission lines connecting Petian-Daro-Sg.Maaw-Tg Manis, strengthening supply to the central coastal areas; the 275kV Murum-Samalaju line to enhance supply reliability to Bintulu and Samalaju areas; the planned Similaju-Bunut-Miri transmission connection to enhance supply to Miri; and planned Bunut-Limbang Lawas transmission connection to link northern-most Sarawak to the grid.

Electricity supply recorded growth in demand from 1,000 MW in 2009 to 3,400MW in 2016. Increase in generation capacity was from 1,195MW to 3,544MW to meet this strong demand and expansion of the transmission system with an increase in line length from 974 km to 2,324km.

He said as of last year, further tariff reductions were implemented and Sarawakians now enjoy the lowest tariff in Malaysia and among the lowest in the region.