Court date set for City energy purchase case
21 May 2019
The City of Cape Town is pleased that the date of 18 June 2019 has been set for its hearing on being allowed to purchase power from independent power producers (IPPs) and not only from Eskom. The City is fighting for the right to buy cleaner energy directly from IPPs. Read more below:
In the court matter, the City is asking the Minister of Energy and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to allow it, and municipalities across South Africa, to buy energy from IPPs in light of Eskom’s inability to provide for a reliable and cleaner energy supply to the residents and businesses of Cape Town.
‘Metros simply must be the energy champions of their residents and of their commercial sector players. It is a right which is entrenched in the Constitution of the country and the City intends on providing its customers with the option of cleaner energy supply while combating both rising electricity tariffs and the impact of climate change. Energy derived from fossil fuels is responsible for roughly half of the greenhouse gases released worldwide,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy and Climate Change, Councillor Phindile Maxiti.
The City maintains that it will be vital for the national government to open up the electricity generation environment if cities are to be able to reduce carbon emissions and if the security of power supply is to be achieved.