Bid Window 5: DA vindicated on renewable energy costs
29 October 2021
Note to Editors: Please find an attached soundbite by Kevin Mileham MP
The DA’s long held position that renewable energy sources should be a key source of supply for South Africa’s future energy needs was vindicated in the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP) 5 announcement made yesterday by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe.
Not only are the new renewable energy sources announced yesterday significantly cheaper per kWh than what Eskom produces, they can be brought online much quicker than fossil based power plants. With the lowest prices for solar at 37,5c per kWh and 34,4c per kWh for wind, Bid Window 5 offers the cheapest energy costs of all bid windows to date.
This about turn in energy procurement focus is a welcome development in that it would go a long way in addressing South Africa’s ongoing electricity crisis. The announcement clears policy inconsistences that have come to characterise Mantashe’s vowed disregard for green investment.