Non-Eskom power should grow more rapidly: Godsell

22 October 2009 – Bobby Godsell, Chairman of Eskom identified the obstacles to licensing private generation companies in South Africa.  These include "a cumbersome regulatory process" in licensing independent procedures where Eskom had to interrogate producers’ proposals and cost structures.

"Independent producers should be able to make their case directly to the regulator," Godsell said.

Another obstacle to private electricity producers was the present pricing practices.

He suggested that South Africa needed a national average tariff that blended all sources of generation determined by the regulator.

"In this regard, independent producers and those able to produce power through their normal industrial processes would aid the debate by indicating the price at which they need to sell what they generate," he said.

Godsell said Eskom intended to participate constructively in the debate now underway, to respond when challenged and take careful note of alternative views.

"The last energy crisis was the product of very little transparency and even less concerted action.

"Let’s us do better this time," he said.