Renewables will also cost SA over R1trn - Joemat-Pettersson
11 October 2016
Cape Town – Renewable energy will also cost South Africa in excess of R1trn and it’s up to Eskom to say if they can afford it, as it will be funded from the power utility’s balance sheet, said Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson on Tuesday.
The minister and a delegation from her department as well as Eskom briefed the Portfolio Committee on Energy on government’s intended nuclear build programme.
While reiterating that renewable energy remains government policy and part of a balanced energy mix in the country, Joemat-Pettersson said Eskom is well within its rights to say whether it can afford a renewables programme.
“If Eskom says it can’t find further funding for renewables, we have to listen. That doesn’t mean the CEO of Eskom (Brian Molefe) is making any policy pronouncements. He has an organisation to run to ensure the country has sustainable and stable cost-related energy tariffs,” she said.