Western Cape seeking to use electricity crisis to develop low carbon energy system

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Friday highlighted that his administration had assigned R7-billion, over the next three years, to create an “ecosystem” that would facilitate private sector investment in renewable electricity generation capacity in the province. He was addressing the inaugural Wesgro Business Outlook conference in Cape Town. (Wesgro is the Western Cape’s trade, investment and tourism promotion agency.) The Western Cape’s energy demand currently totalled 4 000 MW. The provincial government was targeting the creation of new generating capacity totalling 5 700 MW. This was to allow for, and power, economic growth.