THE bad weather these past few months did not bode well for Eddie Widiono Suwondho, 54, the Chief Executive Officer of PT PLN, the state-owned power company. Faced with a critical fuel shortage situation, his time was spent in one meeting after another.

The cargo ships carrying much-needed coal were hampered by sea storms, prevented from reaching port. As a result, the delivery of coal supplies to power generators in Java was seriously disrupted.