Cape Town seeks freedom from Eskom shackles
The City of Cape Town is waiting for the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) to determine a date to rule on whether independent power producers (IPPs) can supply the city with electricity. A Cape Times report says the city has taken Energy Minister Jeff Radebe and the energy regulator to the High Court to challenge the status quo that allows municipalities to purchase from IPPs only if they have ministerial approval.
It filed its first court papers in 2017, challenging Eskom's exclusive rights to procure electricity for resale from independent suppliers.
The city buys almost all of its electricity from Eskom. It now wants a determination to purchase up to 400 megawatts of renewable energy from independent suppliers.
Said the city's Phindile Maxiti: ‘After load shedding, one can see the importance of being allowed to procure from the IPPs as we cannot allow a situation where economic growth will be affected.’
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
