A recovery centre and a recovery team was established at the Energy Risk Management Committee team 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. 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 managment 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.

Lynnette Johns
Media Liasion Officer to
Ms Tasneem Essop
Provincial Minister:
Environment, Planning and Economic Development
Phone: 021 483 3915
Fax: 021 483 6081