The Implementation of Community Empowerment In Local Energy Communities: A Case Study

The concept of a local energy community for community empowerment is one of the efforts to provide alternative energy for rural communities. One such community is in the Andungbiru Village, Tiris District, Probolinggo Regency that sought to bring to life this idea through the PLTMH unit by the Tirta Pijar PLTMH Group in collaboration with CSR PLN Nusantara Power UP Paiton in the Kampung Setrum program. This study aimed to examine the implementation of an Local Energy Community in Andungbiru Village based on an analysis of community empowerment outcomes. A qualitative, case study approach was used. Primary data were obtained from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with informants who were chosen by the purposive sampling method. Meanwhile, secondary data drew from the PLN Nusantara Power UP Paiton CSR document and other documents. Data analysis was carried out by data reduction, categorization, data presentation, and drawing conclusions by employing outcome analysis, which were then tested for data validity using source triangulation techniques and expert validation. The results of this study describe how the implementation, decision making, management of human and natural resources, and response of the Tirta Pijar PLTMH group to problems within the local energy community, impact the empowerment of Local Energy Communities. This research concludes that community empowerment at the Tirta Pijar PLTMH has reached the highest (power-shift) level. Keywords: local energy community, ladder depiction of outcome of empowerment, community empowerment, corporate social responsibility