New coal stations will raise electricity price
Public hearings on the government’s integrated resource plan are under way in parliament
The two prospective coal plants that are planned in Limpopo and Mpumalanga by independent power producers (IPP) will unnecessarily raise electricity tariffs by an extra 1.9 cents/kWh and cost SA an additional R23bn in electricity tariffs over their life span. The anticipated premium on electricity prices is according to energy minister Jeff Radebe’s own calculations, an environmental legal lobby group told parliament’s portfolio committee on energy on Tuesday. A study also shows that the government will have to pay an extra R23bn in emissions mitigation strategies if it is to keep within its carbon emission-reductions target and build the two coal power stations, the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) told MPs. The group was presenting its objections to the integrated resource plan (IRP), SA’s 20-year plan for energy security on which the portfolio committee is holding public hearings. Radebe has said that he plans to finalise the plan within 60 days of its first publication at t...
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