| Plans for Eskom’s Nuclear Plant postponed | |
 While Eskom’s plans to build a second nuclear power station have been postponed, there are fears that this could lead to the building of more carbon-polluting, coal-fired power stations. It is felt that the money would be better spent on cleaning up energy production.
Lance Greyling, an Independent Democrats MP and a renewable energy expert, insists that coal is not the answer. He says, “South Africa must see this as an opportunity to build an entirely new industry, to create jobs at the skills level that we need, and the energy would be clean energy.” He indicated that renewable energy technology could be cheaper while also creating jobs locally rather than having foreign run projects. Renewable energy does not contribute to polluting the atmosphere or global warming nor does it use scarce natural resources. It includes solar and wind power as well as hydroelectricity. Anton Eberhardt, a University of Cape Town energy expert, said that renewable energy could well be the cheaper option if fossil fuel costs as well as diesel prices for gas turbines increase.. Eberhardt said, “I think renewables would probably become more attractive, but I am not sure that they will be able to replace the amount of energy we need in the short term.” Environmentalists and energy experts alike see Eskom’s postponement of building a second nuclear power station as a valuable opportunity for government to invest in renewable energy.
Bookmark
Email this
Hits: 450 Comments
(0)
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
