Plan to fix Eskom, remove 100MW embedded generation limit, buy more private power

[Benedict A55h0le]

Do not listen to good obedient little socialists.

 

[RVQ]

So the "mobile generators", are those the Karpowerships?

 

[Cius]

Everything Cyril said is right, but it has all been said before and not done. We have been discussing scrapping the 100mw limit for years. We have been talking about finishing Medupi and Kusile for ages but progress is still slow and what has been built is sometimes less reliable than the old plants. To bring in more skills from outside would probably mean local communities blockade the plants for the jobs like they did last time. Everything he said is easy to say, but hard for the ANC to do. The only concrete thing was doubling the amount of tenders for renewables in the next round of bids. What was not said was where the finance for that power comes from. The biggest issue of course he mentions is solving Eskom's debt issue. That many billions of rands of debt does not just evaporate, and our economy is stagnating thanks in large part to Eskom issues, so its a nice catch 22. Pity so much of the billions of debt went out with the Gupta's and all the other looting that happened over the years. Imagine how much easier the Eskom situation would be to solve if its debt levels where a quarter of where it is now, which is where it would have been under honest and competent leadership.

Go Solar if you can.

 

[Benedict A55h0le]

Everything Cyril said is right, but it has all been said before and not done. We have been discussing scrapping the 100mw limit for years. We have been talking about finishing Medupi and Kusile for ages but progress is still slow and what has been built is sometimes less reliable than the old plants. To bring in more skills from outside would probably mean local communities blockade the plants for the jobs like they did last time. Everything he said is easy to say, but hard for the ANC to do. The only concrete thing was doubling the amount of tenders for renewables in the next round of bids. What was not said was where the finance for that power comes from. The biggest issue of course he mentions is solving Eskom's debt issue. That many billions of rands of debt does not just evaporate, and our economy is stagnating thanks in large part to Eskom issues, so its a nice catch 22. Pity so much of the billions of debt went out with the Gupta's and all the other looting that happened over the years. Imagine how much easier the Eskom situation would be to solve if its debt levels where a quarter of where it is now, which is where it would have been under honest and competent leadership.

Go Solar if you can.

No, go off-grid or don`t go solar at all. Disconnect from Eskom.

 

[CyberSakkie31]

They can bill what they like. Collection is another story altogether. You'll find loads of people in arrears already. They only disconnect in the suburbs.

Ja, collection is the issue. But if I do not pay the alleged levy/tax/whatever, how will they disconnect my solar system for my house?

 

[Speedster]

Ja, collection is the issue. But if I do not pay the alleged levy/tax/whatever, how will they disconnect my solar system for my house?

Municipal debt, like SARS debt, is not something I want to get tied up in. It's the kind of thing that'll bite you badly in the backside later on

 

[Nike7]

Does solar end up paying for itself?

 

[Temujin]

Its almost as if they haven't been trying to 'fix' loadshedding for the past 15years

 

[Lupus]

Does solar end up paying for itself?

Depends on the setup I guess and what you wanted to do with it.

 

[quovadis]

They have been charging it yes, City Power has been charging close to R800 for their connectivity fees, no one charges the same as any other muncipality or Eskom, so why would this suddenly change?

Because once the regulator allows Eskom to bundle variable consumption it becomes a great way of increasing city coffers by looking at the ARPU and setting a new Eskomesque rate well above this.

 

[quovadis]

What I am arguing is that the focus of any fixed charge won't be on the poor.

This is true, how that's accomplished will be interesting.

 

[Speedster]

Does solar end up paying for itself?

By my calcs my solar should reach breakeven after about 45 months (depending on tariff escalations).

 

[Speedster]

Municipalities have been doing it under the guise of service/availability/infrastructure charges and not consumption charges which falls outside of the regulatory framework for consumption.

Fixed charges are by definition not consumption charges.

 

[Benedict A55h0le]

Does solar end up paying for itself?

We do not really know, since it is a socialist system and they need to recover their losses from those that have money. Grid-tied is likely to be a perpetual financial loss, but maybe off-grid can be better, that is if they allow you to disconnect.

 

[wingnut771]

By my calcs my solar should reach breakeven after about 45 months (depending on tariff escalations).

What's your battery size?

 

[CyberSakkie31]

Municipal debt, like SARS debt, is not something I want to get tied up in. It's the kind of thing that'll bite you badly in the backside later on

True. I see in Tshwane you do have an option of cancelling services rendered, i.e. water and electricity. So, if you have a borehole, that is an option.

 

[quovadis]

Fixed charges are by definition not consumption charges.

Errrr that's the point. They most likely will (if allowed) bundle included consumption as a fixed charge?!!?

 

[Shadowchaser1]

My friend from SA is currently visiting me in Europe. He just laughed when he read this. Says it won't happen in the next couple of months or year. When he told some people of rolling blackouts (LS), they just laughed & thought he was a comedian. Most have never heard of LS, I've never experienced it myself. nor my wife. My understanding from the article is that there is no specific date. Will this happen this year, next year?

 

[shearder]

Is this a plan by the biggest crime syndicate in SA the anc!!! Run but a crime boss controlled by his baas in London. This boy has had his time it's time for him to fkoff

 

[Gaz{M}]

Did this really need to be a 20:00 address to the nation? Not like anything earth shattering was announced. They didn't even have a family meeting to end the pandemic..

What I didn't hear was any plans to speed up the addition of new generation. Bid window 5 will take 18 months, bid window 6 (now 5200MW) will take 24-36 months. We need 8000MW of dependable power NOW, not in three years. If that is to be achieved by renewables, then we need to add at least 24 000MW of renewables.