THERE was so much wrong with the chairman of the Eskom board informing the Department of Energy that it would no longer be purchasing electricity from independent power producers (IPPs), as reported by Business Day, that I had to check the date to make sure I was not being duped by an unseasonal joke. Where was the National Electricity Regulator of SA, or the department, in this statement of seismic significance for energy governance?Why discontinue one of the few well-crafted, well-run initiatives of the past few years? Can we really do without the private sector investment at this time? Are the South African authorities not aware that the Australian photovoltaic industry has just announced 20% growth in its R22bn sector? Is this the price we pay for not passing the Independent System and Market Operator Act back in 2015 — a piece of legislation that would have prevented Eskom from abusing its monopoly-monopsony position?Fortunately, the IPP announcement prompted a wave of objectio...
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