Winde says his administration doubling efforts to make WC energy resilient

CAPE TOWN - While the country has been spared power cuts for the past three months, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said his administration would double its efforts to make the province energy resilient.

In his Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) on Wednesday, Winde said the private sector would be encouraged to invest in renewable energy sources.

He said to limit carbon tax on exports, the switch to renewable energy was critical.

Winde’s address will be debated by the provincial legislature on Thursday.

The lights may be burning for now, but Winde is not taking any chances the situation will hold.

Western Cape’s energy resilience programme has new energy development of over 2,000 megawatts in the pipeline, with over 700 megawatts already added to the province’s grid in the past year.

“We still need to make sure we keep the energy plans going. We need to, in the next five years, double down on our drive to make the Western Cape energy resilient by empowering the private sector to invest in renewable energy sources,” said the premier.

Winde said the province still plans to make the small town of Riversdale load shedding-free.

“The land is identified, the electrical connection is identified, the support from this government in enabling the procurement processes has been dealt with, the environmental impact assessment dealt with, and that project is nicely on track.”

The premier said Eskom’s slow response to electrical faults, especially after major storms remains a concern.