[FROM THE ARCHIVES] So Long Loadshedding?
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ญ.
For the first time in history, the entire South Africa may be lit up. Eskom has never been able to provide power to 100% of the population. And while the state-owned enterprise battled to keep existing lights on, it has been unable to spend the time and energy needed to resurrect its dilapidated coal-fired power stations. That may all change now that President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a change in legislation that the private sector has been begging for, for years. The amended regulation will mobilise independent energy companies to generate power and sell it privately without having to jump bureaucratic licensing hoops at the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). Until now, these companies were only allowed to generate one megawatt without a license, and those who wanted to build larger plants had to wait years for approval. NERSAโs licensing process blocked the renewable energy sector from developing and resulted in South Africa lagging behind the rest of the world. The new regulations will allow private companies to generate up to 100 megawatts each, enough to provide electricity to nearly a hundred thousand houses. Although these companies still have to undergo registration processes at NERSA and various other state entities, industry leaders believe itโs the first step in the right direction.