Stellenbosch Municipality is investigating ways to secure their own electricity supply and become the first town to be load shedding free. This comes after a change in legislation in October 2020 made it possible for municipalities to start investigating how they can generate their own electricity.
“With blackouts and load shedding frequently sweeping across the nation due to the energy crisis in South Africa, it has become imperative for municipalities to start investigating alternative energy sources,” said Stellenbosch’s Executive Mayor, Gesie van Deventer, in a statement.
The municipality submitted a request to commence with an investigation into the use and generation of alternate electricity supply on Thursday [January 27].
The decision means Stellenbosch may potentially become the first municipality in the country to eliminate load shedding after the promulgation of the Electricity Regulation Act Regulations in October 2020.
The act allows municipalities to look into methods of generating their own electricity and purchasing electricity from independent power producers (IPP).
“While there is still a long road ahead in the battle against load shedding, today’s decision marks the official start of a journey for Stellenbosh Municipality that may culminate in energy independence and long-term energy sustainability,” said van Deventer.
The municipality will utilise the expertise at its disposal to assist the investigation, which includes “some of the brightest minds in the energy sector”.
“We will be able to make use of brilliant internal research entities, experts at the University of Stellenbosch, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Western Cape Government as part of our joint investigation,” said the Mayor.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons