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News Flash - Local Govt. Electricity Price Hikes
south africa: November 23, 2011Some municipalities are proposing tariff hikes on electricity that could put major private sector employers out of business. “We’re looking at the de-industrialisation of South Africa as jobs are shed,” said Kevin Hustler, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, at a table in the canteen of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa on Friday, 18 November.Hustler was speaking to the Daily Maverick after his organisation’s presentation to NERSA, which formed part of the public hearing on municipal tariffs that had just taken place in the nearby auditorium. What they had to say though left a huge question mark about the full extent of the problem.
Download PDFSouth Africa : The Case Against A Carbon Tax For South Africa
south africa: October 19, 2011Treasury has made a proposal that there should be a carbon tax in South Africa. In its discussion paper, the rationale for the tax is given as "Climate change and its effects are the result of GHG emissions, which are not paid for by the emitters. Such emissions impose external costs on society – an "externality" in economic terms. Because these costs have not been factored into the prices of goods and services, this is a "market failure", which can be corrected by a pricing instrument." But greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions are global, and the South African contribution is minor.
South Africa - News Flash - Carbon Tax Plan May Hurt Job Ambitions
south africa: October 07, 2011South Africa’s carbon tax plan is running headlong into a clash with its job creation plans, putting the government in a bind ahead of hosting of a global climate summit at the end of the year as it seeks to rein in emissions without hurting growth. South Africa wants to cut CO2 emissions by 34% over the next decade, but has little flexibility to make fast changes with major employers among the top polluters and its cash-strapped power sector almost fully reliant on coal. The government has said its top priority is to cut into a chronic 25% unemployment rate. However, industry will have less money for new employees if it is forced to pay high carbon taxes and while exports flounder due to an economic slump in Europe and the United States.
REFIT
south africa: March 28, 2011South Africa is endowed with abundant renewable energy resources such as wind, biomass, solar, landfill gases and small scale hydro. In light of Eskom’s uncertainty in fully satisfying the nation’s energy needs, the country’s regulatory body, NERSA, has introduced the Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff or REFIT. REFIT encourages the role of independent renewable power producers and mandates that the Government purchase the generated power at a predetermined price. Continue Reading
A Sobering Development
south africa: January 24, 2011South Africa’s Energy Regulator’s (NERSA) Chief Executive Officer had recently been suspended from his position for alleged transgressions of NERSA’s code of conduct. Various media have reported that one of the transgressions being investigated includes alleged public drunkenness. Continue Reading
Up, Up & Away
south africa: July 15, 2010The National Energy Regulator of South Africa or NERSA advised earlier this year that applications by those municipalities seeking rate increases above the recommended 19 to 22 percent guidelines would need to provide justification and undertake public hearings prior to approval. Continue Reading
Soccer Fever
south africa: April 02, 2010Telkom is still South Africa’s primary and predominant telecommunications provider. With the 2010 World Cup just around the corner, Telkom has been approached by the FIFA to supply the Network for Media coverage of this historic event. Continue Reading
Costly Expansion
south africa: January 13, 2010South Africa’s electricity price increases, driven by escalated demand for power, are heavily influenced by Eskom’s electricity generation expansion projects. Continue Reading
Onward and Upward
south africa: September 18, 2009The forecast of an even higher price hike in electricity pricing, following the 27.4 percent Eskom increase in 2008 that left consumers shocked and infuriated, became a reality when NERSA (the National Energy Regulator of South Africa) approved a whopping 31.3 percent increase as of 1 July 2009. Back in 2007, we predicted a 100 percent increase in electricity pricing over a period of 3 years, but expectations now are that increases will reach over 200 percent by 2012. Continue Reading
World Cup 2010
south africa: April 16, 2009 After South Africa was awarded the honor as host country for the 2010 World Cup, Telkom was approached by FIFA to supply the network for media coverage of this historic event. According to Telkom’s recent... Continue Reading
Up, Up and Away
south africa: March 14, 2009 By most surveys, South Africa has some of the lowest electricity prices in the world. However, in our view, this condition is unsustainable due to rapid economic and population growth within the country. Since... Continue Reading
The SNO is NOW!
south africa: January 20, 2009 For many years, South African telecommunications consumers have been eagerly waiting in anticipation for the arrival of a Second Network Operator or SNO. The SNO would effectively provide a choice for consumers... Continue Reading
Into the Abyss?
south africa: November 20, 2008 Compared to the recent increases in electricity prices, the impact on businesses could be much worse should the Energy Conservation Scheme (ECS) developed by Eskom and the Department of Minerals and Energy be... Continue Reading
Massive Price Hike
south africa: August 12, 2008 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa or NERSA decided late in June to allow Eskom, the country’s principal electricity generator and distributor, to recover additional primary energy costs totaling R... Continue Reading
Finalized Pricing
south africa: June 06, 2008 Both business and the general public have had to adapt and accept the conditions of rolling electric blackouts and unusual price increases from the country’s sole energy provider – Eskom. South African... Continue Reading
House of Cards
south africa: February 15, 2008 Electric service reliability started to tumble, slowly in 2007 and then catastrophically in 2008. The one question that remains unanswered is why so suddenly and extensively this year? In our opinion, the major... Continue Reading