Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa briefed Cabinet on Wednesday on the current state of the electricity system as well as progress on the government’s Energy Action Plan (EAP).
“The meeting discussed short and medium-term measures to ensure energy security, taking into account our immediate energy needs,” said acting government spokesperson, Michael Currin.
Cabinet noted Ramokgopa’s presentation and directed that a further assessment of the electricity situation, and the measures to be taken, should be addressed at the next National Energy Crisis Committee meeting, which will be convened as speedily as possible.
To respond to the severe impact of load shedding on households, small businesses and the economy, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a range of measures in July 2022 to improve the performance of existing power stations and add new generation capacity as quickly as possible.
The EAP was developed through extensive consultation and endorsed by energy experts as providing the best and fastest path towards energy security.
The government is implementing the plan with the long-term goal of securing a continuous, credible energy supply, while load shedding is being rolled out presently to ameliorate the shortage and attend to breakdowns.
According to the government, progress has been made in several areas since the adoption of plan, including the relaxation of requirements to enable quicker procurement, and the removal of licensing requirements for private generation projects. – SAnews.gov.za
