NO TARGET FOR M`SIA TO BE IN SMART GRID ERA FOR NOW, SAYS CIRED

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- The International Conference on Electricity
Distribution (CIRED) has not come up with any target for Malaysia to be in the
Smart Grid era for now.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had mentioned during
the Climate Summit in Copenhagen last year about the country aiming to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2020, CIRED Malaysia Association
chairman Azman Mohd said Friday.

He was speaking to reporters at a workshop on Smart Grid initiatives in the
Asia-Pacific region here.

Smart Grid is the key enabler of greenhouse technologies to reduce the
carbon foot print in the pursuit of sustainable development.

International Council on Large Electric Systems' Asia Oceania Regional
Council Chairman Dr Herman Darnel Ibrahim said Asian countries were facing some
challenges that could hinder the Smart Grid era.

"We have some ideas but we cannot communicate them to may be the minister of
finance because finance ministers in developing countries have a lot of problem
like poverty. And our ideas cannot be a priority to them, hence creating a
challenge.

"In developing countries, their governments keep the same energy price and
keep on subsidising it, and this is the enemy to implement Smart Grid," he said.

Malaysia's Energy Commission member Aishah Abdul Rauf said Smart Grid
would require a lot of investment and she was not sure whether the government
would put some money to support the initiatives by Pertubuhan CIRED Malaysia
with regard to Smart Grid.

-- BERNAMA