So long, load shedding? Western Cape moves closer to ‘energy independence’

The DA has welcomed the Western Cape Provincial Government’s launch of the Municipal Energy Resilience Fund this week, and they’re hailing this as a move that will push the region towards ‘energy independence’. Should everything go to plan with this project, load shedding could become a thing of the past, as the need to rely on Eskom dwindles.

Western Cape ‘takes step forward’ to move away from Eskom

Money has been made available for qualifying municipalities who want to get their energy from renewable sources, turning their backs on Eskom and traditional methods of electricity generation in the process. Upwards of R13 million has been released for the ambitious strategy – and over 100 individual projects are in line for the funding.

The province has launched a Municipal Energy Resilience Fund to support municipalities to prepare for the development of renewable energy projects and help them build capacity to purchase energy directly from Independent Power Producers – cutting out failing Eskom. #DAatWork

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) September 4, 2021

Eskom’s generally poor service delivery has shown very few signs of improvement over the past few years – despite the company clearing some of its debts. The same issues presented by a fragile grid persist, and the tall order of getting this utility up and running in an efficient manner still seems insurmountable for some.

‘Energy independence’ to end load shedding

The Western Cape isn’t prepared to ‘wait and see’ any longer, however. Kevin Mileham, the DA’s shadow energy minister, has lauded the provincial government for showing leadership on the matter – and hopes that the practical effects of The MER Initiative will be felt soon by millions of locals.

“The launch of the fund last week by Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, will see R13 million made available to qualifying municipalities for preparatory work, such as Electricity Master Plans and Cost of Supply Studies, to get renewable energy projects off the ground.”

“The ultimate goal of these projects is to protect Western Cape residents and businesses from Eskom’s rolling blackouts by helping municipalities build energy security through renewable energy sources. Progress is being made towards freeing residents from Eskom’s monopoly. For years, they have failed to meet the demands of their consumers.”