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Government is throwing more money at South Africa’s electricity crisis and have launched a new “publication” to stop South Africans using the limited resource that is available.
The new publication, ‘Saving Electricity in a Hurry’, has been launched by energy minister, Dipuo Peters, to “help the country deal with its electricity issues”. The booklet will also be distributed outside Eskom.
The publication, commissioned by the International Energy Agency (IEA), is a brief case study which highlights lessons from recent electricity shortfalls in Chile, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.
IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka said international cooperation was needed to address energy challenges. “It is imperative to have discussions around the issue so we could get a solution to address the challenges we are faced with. ‘Saving Electricity in a Hurry’ would ultimately help with the problem of climate change,” Tanaka said.
Peters (again) said energy is important for economic growth and it is still important for people to continue to use electricity wisely.
“There is still a need to engage more with the developing economies in as far as energy is concerned. This will ensure that the country deals more effectively with the energy challenges we are faced with.”
Cabinet recently approved the country's 20-year energy master plan meant to unlock investment in the power sector and help build reserve capacity. Peters explained that the 20-year electricity master plan entails a strategy on saving energy. Johannesburg meanwhile pushed up electricity costs by more than a third.
