Tackling load-shedding presents us with a unique opportunity to leapfrog to a modern, decarbonised gridbut only if all key ingredients are put in place. Cape Town and Johannesburg, with their recently announced plans to eliminate multiple stages of load-shedding, provide interesting and contrasting test cases.
Joburg plans to recommission 74MW of old diesel-powered gas turbines, invest in a 80MW ripple relay system , and widely deploy smart meters to limit how much power residential customers can use. Secondly, supply needs to be matched with electricity demand throughout the day. This is most challenging during peak periods in the mornings and evenings, when demand on our electricity grids is at its greatest.
The proliferation of solar spurred by the energy crisis means Cape Town and Joburg are increasingly selling less profitable daytime electricity, and relying more on loss-making peak times sales. What does this mean for municipal revenue? In short, it threatens the ability to supply free basic electricity to indigent households as well as other basic services provided by the city, subsidised by electricity revenue.