Govt amends regulations to allow municipalities to generate, buy own power
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has gazetted amendments to the electricity regulations to allow municipalities to generate or buy their own power.
This follows a promise by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address in February, when he said municipalities in good financial standing will be allowed to develop their own power generation projects.
In a statement, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said the new regulations provide more clarity to municipalities.
"This will ensure an orderly development that is in line with the applicable Integrated Resource Plan and municipal Integrated Development Plans. Furthermore, the amendments will ensure that Section 34 determination requests are from municipalities that are in good financial standing with feasible project proposals.”
The department has also put in place an internal procedures to ensure that the requests for Section 34 determinations are attended to in the shortest possible time.
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