The government has committed to making changes to the countries energy supply by shifting to a low carbon economy over the next 10 years. This in effect means that Eskom has placed renewable energy on the cards as the future solution to the nation's power problem. Independent power producers will be able to bid for the rights to supply Eskom with solar, and wind-generated power.
This move, however, will not take place overnight as there are 100 000 jobs at stake in the mining sector alone that need consideration.
In the meantime, the residents of Mpumalanga Highveld have successfully managed to get their "Deadly Air" case in front of the High Court. The case concerns the air pollution in the area that has been ranked by Greenpeace in 2019 as being amongst the world's worst hotspots for Sulphur Dioxide & Nitrogen Dioxide pollution.
The culprits are the 12 Eskom power plants that are burning coal to produce electricity.
In 2012 promises were made that steps would be taken to curb the pollution...almost 10 years later nothing significant has changed. In fact, the residents are affirming that things have actually become worse, hence their "Deadly Air" court case.
It can be arguably said that the nations largest obstacle to gaining full-scale acceptance of alternative power remains in the pockets of the government who insist on throwing good money after bad trying to prop Eskom up.
If you are waiting for Eskom to transform into an energy-efficient source of alternative power, you are in for a very long wait. With over 600 million people in South Africa still not connected to Eskom, the chances of seeing a national power revolution are as slim as getting fiber in Die Hel.
But, we need a revolution none the less to save this planet from the pollution created by burning fossil fuels. Revolutions are characterised by a small movement that grows to create great ripples. These ripples reach a multitude of people who join the drive to help the planet survive.
All it takes is for you to start saving power & water and start using alternative power sources to supply your needs. Let's tap into nature naturally.