The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has welcomed government’s launch of a public consultation process in relation to its plans to exclude the development and expansion of certain solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage facilities from the requirement to obtain environmental authorisation.

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy on July 22 last year announced that projects that are in areas considered to be of low or medium environmental sensitivity may be potentially exempt from environmental authorisation, to get more energy generation capacity on line quicker.