District Energy Council in Upington the first in national pilot programme
The Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) has launched a District Energy Council (DEC) in Upington, in the Northern Cape, that includes representatives from the DEE, State-owned utility Eskom, district and local municipalities, agriculture and business sectors and civil society.
The DEC aims to close the gap between Eskom and municipalities, strengthen collaboration between the DEE and municipalities, incorporate large energy offtakers such as agriculture and business, and broader society, and ensure energy-related matters remain front and centre across each local municipality within a district.
Several DEE initiatives and programmes will be rolled out through the DECs. Council members are encouraged to influence policy and actively contribute to the department's plans, says Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré.
This approach enables all participants to hold one another accountable while ensuring consistent energy throughout the district, she says.
The DEC, which will meet at least quarterly, will be piloted for 12 months and housed within the DEE's Integrated National Electrification Programme.
“During the pilot period, we will refine the council, strengthen collaborations, enhance communication and ensure energy matters are addressed promptly,” says Graham-Maré.
The Constitution calls on all spheres of government and their entities to adhere to the principles of cooperative governance and intergovernmental relations. The Municipal Systems Act requires community participation at the municipal level, she notes.
The DEC model will also be piloted in the Bojanala Platinum, North West, Sarah Baartman, Eastern Cape and Cape Winelands, and Western Cape district municipalities. The DEE will announce the dates when the remaining three DECs will be launched.
After the pilot period, the DEC will systematically be introduced and rolled out to other areas, she says.
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