Eishkom and legislation

[Albereth]

Does anyone know if Eishkom as the sole right to provide electricity to South Africa? (And I know Joburg has its own power station). AFAIK some years back Transnet had the sole right to move goods about the country - you couldn't use a truck on the highways to transport goods, they had to go by rail. Telkom is another that had the sole licence for the telephone system.

So in that context, is there legislation that gives Eishkom sole mandate to provide power?

I've seen the arguements that government tried to introduce competition, or private power suppliers but that Eishkom keeps the price that they will pay for power too low to be economically viable.

I ask these questions on the back of an article where a sugar cane grower could use the by-product to produce around 600MW, and up to 1,2GW if they could get efficiency. Not enough to solve the crisis (What crisis?) but maybe enough to provide Ballito (say) with its needs. If this were all possible, could Ballito raise the middle digit and apply some large wire cutters to the Eishkom power grid and then source its own?

If the answer to this is no - then I am going to suggest that each and everyone of you that runs a generator is breaking the law.

 

[psc]

The way I understand it is you can produce your own electricty, you just can't feed it back into the (eskom) grid. City power in JHB has its own "grid"

 

[Albereth]

Okay - as long as you don't need a license providing you, as an individual, sell less than 5GWH per annum.

In order to get a license there is an obligation to supply and a quality of supply component. It would be interesting to see Eishkom's license.

No person shall be entitled to the supply of electricity for any premises having a separate supply of electricity unless he has agreed to pay such minimum annual sum as will, in the opinion of the regulator, give the licensee an income which is sufficient to cover the expenses of the licensee in connection with such supply or unless he has given security for the payment of the said amount.

So all you generator people need to cough up to Eishkom.

A licensee shall not, except for reasons beyond his control, reduce or discontinue the supply of electricity to a consumer, unless-
(a) the consumer is insolvent; or
(b) the consumer has failed to pay the agreed charges or to comply with the conditions of supply and has failed to remedy his default within 14 days after receiving from the licensee a written notice by post calling upon him to do so.

So - there have been no reasons beyond Eishkom's control so we merrily go into:

Nersa can slap them with a fine and get someone else to run the show. Or even cancel the license.

 

[psc]

SCHEDULE 2
EXEMPTION FROM OBLIGATION TO APPLY FOR AND HOLD A LICENCE

1. Any generation plant constructed and operated for demonstration purposes only and not connected to an inter connected power supply
2. Any generation plant constructed and operated for own use
3. Non-grid connected supply of electricity except for commercial use

FROM : "Act No. 4,2006 ELECTRICITY REGULATION ACT, 2006"

So self generation is fairly safe (for now ...)

 

[Albereth]

SCHEDULE 2
EXEMPTION FROM OBLIGATION TO APPLY FOR AND HOLD A LICENCE

1. Any generation plant constructed and operated for demonstration purposes only and not connected to an inter connected power supply
2. Any generation plant constructed and operated for own use
3. Non-grid connected supply of electricity except for commercial use

FROM : "Act No. 4,2006 ELECTRICITY REGULATION ACT, 2006"

So self generation is fairly safe (for now ...)

Sure - but what happens when a group of people in a complex contribute towards paying the landlord to acquire and run a generator. Or a landlord ups the rental/service fee and provides such a service?

And the arguement that you should wire your gennie in through your DB? As soon as you do that you must be on the grid or is the grid only until the substation?

Interesting space to watch - if you are morbidly curious that is