OPINIONISTA: From the Inside: We are but four signatures away from a permanent solution to the energy crisis By Helen Zille helenzille
The lights have stayed on pretty much uninterrupted for the past three weeks, which means that the electricity crisis won’t be top of mind when people go to vote on 8 May 2019.
What’s more, Eskom can recover only one-fifth of its diesel generation costs. So the bankrupt behemoth is literally accelerating its own death spiral by trying to pretend it has the situation under control. The truth is this: We only need four signatures to solve the energy crisis sustainably and permanently within 18 months.For the past four years, the Western Cape government has been working on a sustainable energy plan that is ready to roll if we can get Minister Radebe’s signature on four documents.
Signature Four is needed to include Saldanha Bay as one of the ports where it will be possible, in the short term, to land liquefied natural gas. This will enable Eskom to run its diesel-fired turbines more cheaply at Ankerlig , and it will make natural gas available for industries in the Western Cape, replacing dirty heavy fuel oils. If South Africa is serious about re-industrialisation, then it must become serious about driving gas-based industrialisation in the Western Cape.
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