FINALLY somebody, in this case Rob Jeffrey, has written a realistic article on electric power in SA (Why SA should not unplug gas and coal, August 10).The harsh reality is that renewables often produce power when it is not needed and it is consequently lost. Take the cost of power from renewables when it is usable, ignore its production when it is not required, add in the cost of transmission lines and the loss in transmission over long distances plus the cost of back-up power, and you get the true cost of power from renewables.The question of where the power is required is also relevant. Power produced from coal in the north of the country has substantial transmission losses when sent to Cape Town. If a comparison is to be made between coal and nuclear power it needs to be made on a basis of where the majority of the power will be consumed.A mix of power sources is almost certainly the most optimum. South African consumers need to realise that Eskom is not a monopoly. They can cook...
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