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The Department of Energy today (Friday, 22 October) announced that the closing date for public consultation and submissions for the Draft IRP 2010 has been extended by a period of thirty (30) days to 10 December 2010. The original closing date for submission of written comments was 10 November 2010.

Energy Director General, Ms Nelisiwe Magubane said, "We have been overwhelmed by the manner in which ordinary South Africans including civil society have internalized and taken interest in the IRP (Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity). As a matter of record by the end of business yesterday (Thursday) we had received 80 requests from groups wishing to make presentations at the four public hearings earmarked as part of the public consultation process."
The department will host two public hearings in Johannesburg and one in both Durban and Cape Town respectively. Dates for these public hearings are as follows:

26 November 2010 - Durban
29 November 2010 - Cape Town
02 and 03 December 2010 - Johannesburg

These gatherings will be preceded by the Upington public participation event that will be held next week Tuesday, 26 October, shortly ahead of the Solar Park conference.

Given the fact that more time will be required to thoroughly process the anticipated extensive submissions, and the intervening festive season, the IRP will most likely be promulgated by the end of the first quarter of 2011.