LETTER: Renewable SA energy the way to go
We cannot afford to let our panic to keep the lights on overshadow the need to scrutinise our energy future, especially when we’re importing power
"Sustainability Comes at a Price" (Budget 2019, February 21-27) emphasises that SA’s energy needs must be met with alternatives. But we cannot afford to let our panic to keep the lights on overshadow the need to scrutinise our energy future, especially when we’re importing power. SA needs affordable, reliable and clean energy that drives investment, creates jobs, fosters critical skills development, helps us curb climate change and kicks our struggling economy into gear. The last thing we should be doing is taking uncalculated risks on mega-projects we can’t control or manage. A case in point is the Inga 3 hydropower agreement SA concluded with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2014: it will produce expensive and unreliable hydropower that will take at least 15 years to come on line — besides the inevitable delays, cost overruns and opportunities for corruption. This imported power will cost local consumers at least R400m more a year than 2,500MW of renewable energy produced...
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