DA registers first milestone in fight for red tape reduction for Independent Power Producers
22 July 2022
Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites for Kevin Mileham MP.
In a first major concession to deregulate the electricity generation sector and remove red tape to allow for increased participation by independent power producers (IPPs), the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Barbara Creecy has, thanks to DA pressure over the past few months, announced intentions to gazette measures for public comment in August to simplify the rollout of solar PV projects.
The DA’s call for a ring-fenced State of Disaster on Eskom and the Electricity sector, which has been widely covered, specifically implored the national government to remove onerous environmental and other regulations that were slowing down the licensing process for IPPs.
In direct response to this call, Creecy explained that her Department’s lengthy Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAs) process for solar PV projects located in Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZ) and Strategic Infrastructure Projects will be reduced to shorter timeframes.