and a recovery team
16 March 2006
A recovery centre and a recovery team was established at the Energy Risk
Management Committee meeting yesterday (Thursday) as part of a broader strategy
in anticipation of load shedding required in the next few months.
An integrated and comprehensive plan, developed by the City, RED1 (the
Regional Energy Distributor 1) and Eskom was tabled at the meeting. The
strategy will be launched in next week.
The energy risk management committee, led by provincial Minister of
Environment, Planning and Economic Development Tasneem Essop, adopted the
demand management strategy, which is aimed at preventing load shedding as far
as possible.
"Our partners made some interventions into the tabled plan, which is
equitable and predictable and takes into account the needs of strategic
sectors, hotspots health services, sewerage and communities in the Western
Cape.
"All the key stakeholders acknowledged that a massive effort to save energy
was required in order to minimise load shedding in the Western Cape, we
therefore appeal to everybody to assist us in this effort in our Province,â
Minister Essop said.
Recovery team members, made up of representatives of business, labour, civil
society and government will maintain a presence at the recovery centre - the
Provincial Joint Operations Centre, next to the Tygerberg Hospital. All
co-ordination including emergency services, traffic management and
communications will be run from there.
The meeting further agreed that it would be important to place the immediate
short term challenges in the context of a medium to long term energy security
and sustainable energy usage within the context of sustainable development in
the Western Cape. Eskom estimates that we have to save approximately 300
Megawatts of electricity every day until the end of May. Even though the risk
of load shedding is expected to continue until then, the management team which
includes key leaders in business, labour, civil society, environmental groups,
tertiary education institutions, law enforcement agencies, the health sector,
the City of Cape Town, the Regional Energy Distributor 1 (RED 1) and Eskom, has
committed itself to remain active until September.
A communications strategy on consumer awareness, energy savings and how all
citizens are kept aware of times in areas where load shedding will take place
with advance notice is also being worked on.
Enquiries:
Lynnette Johns
Media Liaison Officer
Tel: (021) 483 3915
Cell: 083 310 0113
Issued by: Department of Environment, Planning and Economic Development,
Western Cape Provincial Government
16 March 2006
