Premier Alan Winde had the honour of delivering his fifth annual State of the Province Address (SOPA), held yesterday, 16 February 2023. The premier emphasised the urgency with which the Western Cape government plans to mitigate the energy crisis in the province.
“As leaders we feel a deep sense of responsibility to our citizens,” the premier told the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.
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The premier announced that the Western Cape Government is approaching the energy crisis with the “fierce urgency of now”.
“I feel that fierce urgency of now every time I talk to a citizen, a small business owner or a public servant. We are desperate for urgent action today for tomorrow. As the government of the Western Cape, we are delivering a clear difference for our residents now, not plans or platitudes, but recognisable, tangible action.”
Premier Winde requested the allocation of R1 billion from the provincial treasury to respond to the energy crisis in the upcoming three-year budget period.
The money will be used as follows:
- Responding to the short-term impact of loadshedding now on government services
- Securing diesel to keep essential public services running during loadshedding
- Helping buffer schools from loadshedding
- Providing poorer households with “power packs” that help reduce the impact of loadshedding on daily tasks
- Assisting SMMEs in assessing and implementing alternative energy options
“In the Western Cape, our budget decisions are guided by the needs of our residents, and our responsibility as a provincial government. We are stepping in to ensure that the most basic needs of our citizens are protected during these relentless blackouts: our residents are our responsibility. We are making this intervention in the three most basic needs of our citizens: water, WIFI, and health,” said the premier.
The Western Cape Energy Council was created as part of the provincial government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of loadshedding following Eskom’s announcement that the power cuts are “set to continue until further notice”.
Here are some notable points as stated by the premier on mitigating the energy crisis in the Western Cape.
Safe drinking water and working sewage infrastructure
The Western Cape Government is making sure that municipalities have the resources to ensure safe drinking water and working sewage infrastructure during rolling blackouts through the release of nearly R89 million in emergency funding to municipalities. The money will be used to purchase backup generators for the treatment and supply of water services. Stringent checks and balances are in place to ensure the funds are used transparently, and the funds are being released in accordance with strict guidelines.
WiFi connectivity
The premier has met with the CEO of Vodacom and the Chairman of the Association of Communications & Technology (ACT), to understand exactly what they are doing to ensure connectivity during extended blackouts.
Renewable energy/green economy push
The Western Cape government is on a drive to increase the use of alternative energy supplies, not only to mitigate the effects of loadshedding and the resulting economic damage but also to highlight the immense potential the power generation sector, specifically the green economy, has in being able to stimulate growth, attract investment and create employment.
In December, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with my Northern Cape counterpart, Premier Zamani Saul, at South Africa’s inaugural Green Hydrogen Summit, held here in Cape Town.
As the Western Cape Government, we are working with our allies, in the case of GH2, the Northern Cape Government, the Saldanha Industrial Development Zone and international partners, such as the Namibian government, to make optimal use of the potential of green hydrogen.
Premier Winde said the rollout of the programme is proceeding very well and showing immediate results.
The City of Cape Town has already shown progression by taking the following steps:
- As the first municipality in SA to offer cash for power
- In protecting its residents from two levels of loadshedding
- In allocating R132 million to diesel & R25 million for diesel storage
- By connecting generators to 62 water pump stations, 26 wastewater treatment plans and 110 sewer pumps
- By adding 70MW of solar PV generation to its portfolio, spread across the Atlantis, Athlone and Paardevlei projects
- In concluding the first phase of the procurement of 200MW of additional power last year
- By putting out a dispatchable energy tender, expected to yield at least 500MW for Cape Town’s grid.
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Picture: Western Cape Government / Facebook