Support for higher cap on licensing exemption
THE RENEWABLE energy industry has welcomed Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter’s support to increase the cap on the licence exemption for electricity generation.
Last week in an Ensafrica webinar, De Ruyter backed reforms to allow anyone to build their own generation facilities of up to 50 megawatts (MW) without needing a licence.
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (Sapvia) said yesterday that distributed generation could add capacity to the grid, reduce load shedding and create jobs, but there must be policy and regulatory action.
Sapvia chief operations officer Niveshen Govender said they had long advocated the systematic easing of licensing thresholds.
“We, therefore, welcome the support of the state-owned utility for lifting licensing thresholds from 1MW to 50MW in order to accelerate distributed generation by large customers,” Govender said.
“As a key sector player, Eskom’s support in this effort should encourage more haste in regulatory changes from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa).”
South Africa’s energy plan removes the need for ministerial approval for distributed generation for own use above 1MW before Nersa can process a generation licence application. The Integrated Resource Plan 2019 sets out a path to pursue a diversified energy mix that reduces reliance on a single or a few primary energy sources by 2030.
Business Leadership SA (BLSA) also said Eskom’s support for energy reforms was a move that would rapidly lead to large investments by companies in their own energy infrastructure.
BLSA chief executive Busi Mavuso said this, along with clarity on renewable energy timetables, could spur a green economy industrialisation wave.
“Clarity on the renewable energy programme means backing the successful formula that has delivered four rounds so far, one that everyone from banks to construction firms understands well,” Mavuso said.
HOLLYWOOD actress Salma Hayek’s cleavage gets a voice in her comedy show, A Boob’s Life.
The show is about a woman named Leslie, who, after turning 40, gets an unexpected gift – her boobs start talking to her.
The series explores the obsession with boobs and is an adaptation of Leslie Lehr’s book A Boob’s Life: How America’s Obsession Shaped Me – and You, which is set to be released on March 2 by Pegasus Books.
Hayek and Lehr will serve as executive producers.
Said Hayek: “We are so appreciative that HBO Max was insightful and bold enough to develop this show with us.
“In A Boob’s Life, we use breasts as a metaphor for the constant judgement women are submitted to, creating a collective sensation that no matter what we do we are never enough.
“In this show, we give the breast a voice that takes us through the life of a woman from a unique perspective that often we don’t dare to see.”
In her latest interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hayek said she liked taking bikini shots because it felt “liberating”.
This is evident in her latest Instagram snaps, where she’s showcasing her slimmer figure, serving up major body goals.
“I had to lose a lot of weight and exercise to get into the bikini toward the end of last year,” she said.
“I’m glad I took a lot of pictures, I have no shame on it, because it was the first week of the vacation.”