THEBE MABANGA
GOVERNMENT’S move to renewable sources for electricity generation is commendable and probably ahead of minimum required standards for a developing country with high unemployment, but it is fraught with risks.
The biggest of these risks is that taxpayers and consumers might end up subsidising the move to renewables through sustained higher prices.
In his weekly letter, President Cyril Ramaphosa reminded us that government has gazetted ministerial determinations that will enable the development of more than 11,800 megawatts (MW) of additional power generation.
This is just over a third of installed grid capacity on any given day without load shedding.
Government has also made it easier for small scale operations to generate their own power by removing the licensing requirements for projects of less than 1 MW.
Ramaphosa says thus far 156 self-generation facilities under 1 MW have been registered, with a total installed capacity of 72 MW.
“For
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