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The choice over South Africa's future energy path is one of the biggest determinants of our country's economic success or failure, with investments into new generating plant locking us in for the next thirty to forty years. It is therefore vital that all factors are considered when making these decisions, including such priorities like job creation, industrial policy, environmental concerns, effects on our balance of payments and energy affordability. The ID therefore calls for a review of Eskom's current build programme as we don't believe that Eskom should be allowed to solely determine our country's future on this issue. At the moment the public is being held to ransom by Eskom with its demand for a blank cheque for its expansion plans. As a country we need to decide both on what these expansion plans should include and the manner in which they should be funded.
Once again Eskom has shown no commitment towards renewable energy by using the present financial crisis as an excuse to cancel its' solar and wind energy projects. Its' Concentrated Solar Power Project has however been on the drawing board for over ten years and the board has never chosen to allocate the funds towards it. Its record on energy efficiency is equally dismal as evidenced by the poor performance of its Solar Water Heater Project. It is now time for the government and the nation as a whole to thoroughly debate our energy future and ensure that Eskom is not given free rein over making choices that will affect all of us for decades to come.