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Cape Town to explore alternative energy to Eskom’s supply

Cape Town’s executive mayor Patricia De Lille said in a media statement today that because of the government’s reversal of its stance on independent power producers (IPPs) about 10 years ago, developing new sources of power generation has proven difficult.

De Lille added that local governments cannot be held responsible for decisions made on a national level, which prompted the City to explore new energy options for local government which could, in the long term, hopefully benefit the whole country.

“It is for this reason that we have set up a strategy work-group with the Western Cape Government to explore energy security and the right energy mix for the region for the future. We have to assess all of the options out there – from renewables to gas – and find the right sustainable combination for our current and future needs.

De Lille explained that the new energy exploration mission will be running in parallel to the programmes the City has already enacted, like an electricity saving campaign to reduce demand, altering consumer behaviour and replacing electric geysers with solar water heaters.

The Western Cape government has requested a meeting with South Africa’s minister of energy in order to convince the national government to partner with the province.

“We also are willing to engage with prospective IPPs, partners and stakeholders to explore how the City can accommodate its future energy needs from gas to renewables in the short- to medium-term to ensure that we remain a responsible government,” concluded De Lille.

The City currently has a scheme that lets you sell electricity back into the grid. Click here to read more on the subject.

[Main image – CC by 2.0/John Gwynne]

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