The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) August 12 Gazetting of its amendment to Section 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act has been welcomed by State-owned power utility Eskom and the Western Cape provincial government.

The amendment permits private electricity generators to operate plants of up to 100 MW without a licence from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which Eskom, in a statement, says is a progressive step that will, over time, greatly assist in the effort to provide reliable and sufficient electricity for the economy.