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Integrated Energy Plan to be published by March 2015

Integrated Energy Plan to be published by March 2015

Photo by Bloomberg

18th June 2014

By: Natalie Greve

Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

  

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Following the July 2013 launch of a public consultation phase for the formulation of South Africa’s envisaged Integrated Energy Plan (IEP), The Department of Energy (DoE) has advised that the final plan will be published by March next year.

“The final IEP will be [published] by March 2015, at the latest, which is our financial year-end,” DoE demand modelling specialist Dr Rebecca Maserumule said at a Sustainable Energy seminar, which forms part of the Sustainability Week conference, on Wednesday.

This followed Cabinet’s endorsement of a draft Integrated Energy Planning Report in July last year, providing the basis for a series of public engagements which began soon thereafter in Johannesburg and was subsequently taken to Cape Town and Durban before closing on December 15.

The DoE said it would now hold intergovernmental forums to review policy, macroeconomic and technology assumptions; consider socioeconomic and other planning issues; consider alternative energy demand scenarios; and evaluate energy supply options before make recommendations and finalising the report.

While the publication of the IEP was a requirement of the National Energy Act, South Africa had, hitherto, not had a fully consulted IEP, despite having published an Integrated Resource Plan for electricity, the IRP2010, in early 2011.

Maserumule explained that the IEP would be a multifaceted policy aimed at designing the country’s energy pathway, or energy sector roadmap, to guide the development of energy policies and, where relevant, set the framework for regulations in the energy sector.

Among its objectives was to guide the selection of appropriate technology to meet energy demand, thus also guiding the investment and development of energy infrastructure in the country.

“Importantly, the plan will take into account existing policies, such as the planned Carbon Tax policy and the National Climate Change Response policy, while being led by overarching plans, such as the National Development Plan and the New Growth Path,” she noted.

Maserumule’s comments came a day after President Jacob Zuma had placed the “growth-sapping” issue of electricity insecurity at the centre of his post-election State of the Nation address to lawmakers.

Zuma promised to respond “decisively to the country’s energy constraints to create a conducive environment for growth”.

He argued that a radical transformation of the energy sector was required to develop a sustainable energy mix comprising coal, solar, wind, hydro, gas and nuclear energy.

The President also gave his backing to the passing of the much-delayed Independent System Market Operator Bill, which some viewed as key to opening up the electricity market to independent power producers, Engineering News Online reported on Tuesday.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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