What SA can learn from Australia and China about a second state-owned power company

[Hanno Labuschagne]

What SA can learn from Australia and China about a second state-owned power company

South Africa’s ruling party recently proposed establishing a second state-owned power company.

The purpose is to offset the “grave strategic risk” of relying on Eskom, the country’s monolithic state-owned utility.

[The Conversation]

 

[Grubscrew]

A second ANC is the answer, one that steals less.

 

[wingnut771]

We don't have any "well-run" state-owned entities.

 

[RonSwanson]

Consider the R25 billion (about US$1.5 billion) of irregular expenditure that Eskom is reported to have accrued during the past two years.

Consider the fact that no-one has gone to jail for that.
Consider the fact that no-one has gone to jail for the R400 billion prior to that too, 16 times that amount.
Consider that fact that if there are no consequences for stealing and looting, that it will continue.
Consider the fact that we are talking here about blatant theft, we aren't even scraping the surface yet because we haven't even started talking about non-performance, ineptitude and bloated ANC cadre-filled workforce.

If the efficiencies expected from unbundling Eskom Holdings reduce this loss by even half, those funds could do much to address the needs of those displaced as a consequence of transitioning to an efficient and reliable energy future.

Reduce the loss by half? You mean 12.5 billion? That's like the price of two Eskom brooms. Rather start with prosecuting and punishing the evildoers for the 400 billion theft, than attempt to de-sensitise the public about losses that are 32 times smaller.

 

[Johand]

Nowadays, relatively simple wholesale trading arrangements (perhaps based on bulk supply tariffs) are likely to outperform the more sophisticated real time wholesale markets established during the 1990s.

It would be nice if the author could back this up with more detail. I still think a real-time market will force investors to invest right - e.g. instead of building just solar farms they also invest in battery. Sure there can be limits to prevent what happened in Texas, but we must have the market doing the right thing overall and not have some operators pick the low hanging fruit and nothing else.

 

[Senor]

Learning of lessons from others experiences requires a certain type of intellect and logical thinking, both of which are missing elements in this countries leadership.

 

[HowTo]

They have to look at an African model.
Inteligence is lakking, Another couple of CEO and underdogs that bennifit from this arrangment.
The ANC should gor back to 1652 and start from that point onward. Well done robbing cadres.

"Meer geld meer dae meer dinge"

 

[Magandroid]

Isn't Australia also currently suffering from loadhsedding also caused due to their politicians?