GRAY MAGUIRE: Roof-top revolution is well and good, but don’t forget the moneyless
Pioneering Cape Town could do SA another favour by opening up the system to poor households too
After last week’s budget speech announcement that the National Treasury will be providing tax breaks to SA businesses and households moving over to renewable energy, I couldn’t help but go back to a column I wrote in September 2020 (“Like it or not, Mantashe will be unable to stop the shift to renewable energy (https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/columnists/2020-09-08-gray-maguire-like-it-or-not-mantashe-will-be-unable-to-stop-the-shift-to-renewable-energy/)”, September 8 2020).
In that piece I wrote only two responses were likely to Eskom’s downward spiral. “Option A, residents and businesses opt for cheaper, cleaner and more reliable own-generation solar power and kiss municipal supply goodbye altogether. Or Option B, municipalities pull out the stops and develop their own mechanisms for financing and installing rooftop solar and turn electricity consumers into electricity prosumers.” It appears I was wrong. It’s not an either-or, it’s both...
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