ELECTRICITY
Councils to lobby for their energy goals
Municipalities want to be able to buy and distribute renewable energy
Municipalities want to be able to buy and distribute renewable energy as part of cost-cutting efforts and are to mount a lobbying campaign to achieve their energy goals. They plan to take this route after abandoning court action in which they would have sought a declaratory order reaffirming their authority and responsibilities in providing power to residents. Councils and Eskom are locked in a debt dispute, with the power utility threatening to by-pass municipalities by providing electricity to residents directly. The departments of public enterprises and co-operative governance will hold meetings with Eskom this week to discuss potential long-term legal reforms that will empower councils to provide electricity directly to residents. Nhlanhla Ngidi, the South African Local Government Association’s (Salga’s) specialist for electricity and energy municipal infrastructure services, said in Parliament on Tuesday that he would meet with the directors-general of co-operative governance a...
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