NPC: Declaring energy crisis in SA will allow for efforts to address blackouts
More than 14 years since load shedding begun, Eskom is no closer to meeting the country’s energy demands with the ailing utility pinning its hopes on the return of the Koeberg Power Plant in the Western Cape to add much-needed capacity amid varying stages of the planned outages.
- Eskom
- Load shedding
- National Planning Commission
JOHANNESBRG – The National Planning Commission (NPC) on Monday said the declaration of an energy crisis in South Africa would allow for coordinated efforts towards alleviating the electricity dilemma in the country.
More than 14 years since load shedding begun, Eskom is no closer to meeting the country’s energy demands with the ailing utility pinning its hopes on the return of the Koeberg Power Plant in the Western Cape to add much-needed capacity amid varying stages of the planned outages.
The NPC’s Joanne Yawicth said the declaration would form part of measures to address load shedding and its effects on citizens and the economy.
“There are initiatives that are under way and Eskom, for example, around their land (scheme)…that potentially offers some rapid solution, so we feel that the we should bring all of the capacity in the country together in calling for the energy emergency. What we are saying is that everybody who can contribute to solutions needs to be brought together.”
Meanwhile, energy expert Chris Yelland said it appeared government was finally reacting to growing calls for urgent intervention.
“I want to just point to the example of the raising of the generation licence threshold to 100 megawatts, initially this threshold was one megawatt. There was a lot of pressure to raise it to 20 megawatts, the minister was digging in his heels and suggesting anything above 10 megawatts would plunge the country into problems.”
