Nersa’s new rules for private energy generation are about power — over you
It is hardly surprising, given SA’s unreliable electricity supply, that citizens look for other ways to secure electricity, writes Chris Hattingh, but Nersa wants to control that too
The draft Rules for Registration of Small-Scale Embedded Generation published by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) state that every form of home electricity generation — including solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels and back-up generators — will have to be registered with the government. Not content with the constant waste of taxpayer money on the apartheid-era fossil that is Eskom, the government wants to be in control of how you choose to generate power for your own household. According to the new rules, no customer may connect to the distribution system (municipality or Eskom) without: • Submitting an application for registration to Nersa. • Receiving a quotation after the application from the distributor‚ paying the required connection charge/fees and signing the required connection and use-of-system agreement. • Ensuring the connection and the equipment used are certified to comply with all required technical standards. The state, in all its various forms, agenc...
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