Electrification of rural areas in Java needs thousands of power line poles which are relatively cheap in price, but have adequate strength and are fairly durable. A choice of wood species is available in the country. One alternative is coconut wood found in abundance in the villages. This may give a solution to Java's needs since supplies are readily available almost everywhere. Based on tests made in the laboratories of the Faculties of Engineering and Forestry, Gadjah Mada University, some evidence revealed that coconut wood can be considered as suitable for power line poles provided it is treated with an appropriate method prior to its use. Although the central part of the stem has a softer wood of lower specific gravity, the outer parts have a compression strength parallel to the grain of at least 300 kg/cm². Its treatability is listed in class IV (>160 to 320 kg of preservative solution per cubic metre of wood) based on samples treated with a 3% 'Tanalith' solution by the hot-and-cold bath process. However, if treated to saturation by the cold soaking method using a similar solution it needed a period of one month to arrive at that stage and a further period of 5 weeks to reach an air-dry condition.

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