South African Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said the country would implement measures to ensure that sustainable and affordable energy resources were available to the economy after introducing a new energy bill.
“We need to adequately prepare for the periods when unexpected emergencies happen,” she said, noting the electricity emergency in January and fuel shortages in December 2005. This follows the state-owned electricity company Eskom’s inability to meet demand that led to nationwide blackouts and forced major clients to decrease consumption.
The bill seeks to guarantee ample investment in the energy sector and to place measures for the holding of “strategic or contingency” energy feed stocks and energy carriers at a national level. In addition, it would provide conditions for data and information related to energy demand, supply, and generation that would enable to development of energy modeling and planning.