The president director of the State Electricity Company (PLN), Eddie Widiono, seems to be clairvoyant. Two years ago, at a seminar on electricity in Jakarta, he made a prediction that by 2003, Java-Bali would be shrouded in darkness. The reason: scarce electricity supply due to minimum PLN investments.

Widiono's estimate might just be optimistic. On September 12, Asep, a resident of Cibinong, Bogor, nearly had a heart attack. A hu