The proposal was as bold as it was necessary – the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine power generator with a capacity of 700MW to obliterate the ominous shadow of load-shedding looming over Sabah.
That leaves us with a meagre reserve margin of 131.3 MW or 12.1pc assuming all sets are available, meaning we don’t have much wiggle room when demand spikes. Yet, dwelling solely on past missteps isn't the answer. Instead, it serves as a stark reminder of the price we pay for inaction. Now, standing at a crucial juncture, we must not replicate past errors.
What’s even worrying is that, while our counterpart in Peninsula Malaysia relies on natural gas from offshore Sabah to power up, we are left grappling with a shortage of this vital resource. This is without any regard to the overall electric supply system’s technical and financial well-being that is essential for sustained social and economic development of Sabah and its population.