Madam Speaker, the aim of the National Energy Bill is to ensure that the number of diverse and sustainable energy resources are available at affordable prices to the South African economy in support of economic growth, which is urgently needed to alleviate poverty and to reach the target set for 2014. The Bill also addresses energy security in South Africa.
The recent spate of power outages and the huge increase in tariffs do not do our economy any good. The need for an uninterrupted supply of energy to sustain the economy is nonnegotiable and therefore a proactive programme to prevent the abuse and theft of electricity is urgently needed.
The Bill makes provision for the Minister of Minerals and Energy to keep to an annual Integrated Energy Plan, through which issues relating to the supply and transformation, transport, storage and demand for energy will be accounted for. This Integrated Energy Plan is to be gazetted annually.
A concern that the ACDP shares with the Centre for Applied Legal Studies and Earthlife Africa is at the cost of electricity; especially for the poor and the needy it is becoming unaffordable. They also cited:
The Bill does empower the Minister to implement programmes that may realise some progress of affordable access, continued electrification and the safety of electricity substitutes such as coal and paraffin. However, the Bill should recognise that these programmes are not mere political policy, but reflects entrenched constitutional rights to adequate housing and environmental protection.
Since the Bill seeks to entrench renewable energy, the ACDP believes that clear, measurable targets for the percentage of South African energy obtained by renewable sources should be set. The ACDP will support the Bill.