Latest news with #ElectricityRegulationActof2006
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
NERSA establishes Electricity Market Advisory Forum to transform South Africa's electricity sector
New Electricity Market Advisory Forum launched by NERSA for South Africa's energy reform Image: IOL/Independent Newspapers The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has taken a significant step towards transforming the country's electricity sector by approving the establishment of the Electricity Market Advisory Forum (EMAF). This new advisory body, formed under the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006, aims to provide expert guidance on the development and regulatory oversight of South Africa's emerging competitive electricity market. In a statement issued on Friday, NERSA's Head of Communications, Charles Hlebela, highlighted the importance of the EMAF in navigating the profound changes anticipated in the sector. 'The decision recognises the transformative shift in the electricity landscape, driven by amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), which envisage a competitive electricity market within the next five years. 'The EMAF is a strategic move to involve stakeholders early on, fostering a robust, inclusive regulatory environment to support this transition.' Hlebela stated that the establishment of the EMAF aligns with South Africa's broader energy reform agenda, which includes licensing a Market Operator—likely to be the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA)—and the development of comprehensive Market Rules and Codes. These regulations will underpin the operation of the nascent wholesale electricity market, which introduces regulatory activities that are relatively new to the South African context, such as market surveillance and enforcement. Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Strengthening According to NERSA, the EMAF's primary role will be advising NERSA on key regulatory frameworks, including the finalisation of Market Rules and Codes crucial for the market's launch. It added that the forum will also provide insights on the necessary enablers for a competitive market, such as licensing procedures, operational oversight, and enforcement mechanisms. Recognising the complexity and novelty of these activities, NERSA emphasised the importance of stakeholder consultation and institutional capacity building. 'An inclusive consultation process like the EMAF will help ensure all stakeholders are prepared for the evolving market. This initiative will foster readiness among industry players, regulators, and end-users alike, " said Hlebela. Composition and Operational Framework While specific details about the appointment process are yet to be finalised, NERSA indicated that the EMAF's membership would be carefully curated to include a diverse blend of institutional representatives, industry experts, and end-user perspectives. The energy regulator said that the Market Rule Project Team is currently finalising the forum's terms of reference, which will outline its scope, mandate, membership criteria, and code of conduct. [email protected] IOL Politics
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Here's when City Power won't pay up or fix your outage
As well as the Johannesburg city by-laws, City Power derive their responsibilities from several other national directives. City Power have clarified its rights and responsibilities relating to the supply of electricity. The entity recently stated that it would not be footing the bill for the replacement of a particular section of electrical infrastructure, prompting queries from residents. City Power has since provided a detailed description of the sections of the installations and outlined the legislation that governs their interactions with electricity users. Connections in three parts City Power uses the South African National Standard (SANS) 10142 to define the sections that the service connection is divided into. The service connection is made up of three parts: the point of connection, the point of metering, and the point of control. The point of connection is where the service cable receives the electrical supply from the grid, and the point of metering is where the meter is installed. '[The point of connection] is distinguished by a switching device and is usually rated above all other succeeding breakers on the service cable,' City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena explained to The Citizen. 'Meters form an integral part of the local authority's equipment, and the consumer does not have access to or authority over this part of the service cable,' he added. City Power stated in late April that customers would be responsible for the replacement cost of the final part of the service connection should it be damaged or stolen. 'The next and very important part is the consumer's point of control. This section is sectionalised by a breaking device — circuit breaker or isolator,' said Mangena. 'These breakers are located on the property boundary, within a meter receptacle with the code name ME1/3in the City Power area of supply,' he explained. Point of control From this point onward, the consumer is responsible for maintaining and carrying out any work on the service cable. 'In paid service connections, the applicant pays City Power for infrastructure up to the point of control. Consumers are responsible for supplying the point of control breaking device and its housing,' Mangena said. He added a definition from SANS 10142, noting that a point of control could be a 'point at which a consumer can, on or in any premises, switch off the electrical installation from the electricity supplied from the point of supply.' Mangena said City Power's responsibilities to its customers were grounded in four key documents. As well as the City of Johannesburg by-laws, electricity supply is governed by Section 4 and 5 of the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006, the Municipal Systems Act of 2000 and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (Nersa) National Regulatory Standards (NRS) 047,048 and 049. Reliable and safe supply is covered by the city by-laws and NRS 048, while metering and billing are defined in the by-laws, NRS 047, and the Municipal Systems Act. Fault response and maintenance are covered in NRS 047 and 049, with tariffs determined by Nersa and the Electricity Regulation Act. Protecting infrastructure Residents are allowed to install protective measures up to the point of control. These measures include conduit pipes on private property, cable covers and trenched and buried cable routing at approved depths. Residents are still required to report any damage immediately to City Power and must obtain written consent from City Power for any alterations that may affect municipal infrastructure. Residents are prohibited from tampering with or working on cables outside their property or connecting to or altering City Power infrastructure without approval. The installation of makeshift protection such as steel cages, barbed wire or brackets are also prohibited, unless previously arranged with City Power. Replacing the point of control infrastructure is for the customer's account and must be done by a certified electrician. No customer may repair infrastructure up to the point of control. NOW READ: City Power will not pay to replace this cable if stolen by thieves
IOL News
03-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
NERSA establishes Electricity Market Advisory Forum to transform South Africa's electricity sector
New Electricity Market Advisory Forum launched by NERSA for South Africa's energy reform Image: IOL/Independent Newspapers The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has taken a significant step towards transforming the country's electricity sector by approving the establishment of the Electricity Market Advisory Forum (EMAF). This new advisory body, formed under the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006, aims to provide expert guidance on the development and regulatory oversight of South Africa's emerging competitive electricity market. In a statement issued on Friday, NERSA's Head of Communications, Charles Hlebela, highlighted the importance of the EMAF in navigating the profound changes anticipated in the sector. 'The decision recognises the transformative shift in the electricity landscape, driven by amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), which envisage a competitive electricity market within the next five years. 'The EMAF is a strategic move to involve stakeholders early on, fostering a robust, inclusive regulatory environment to support this transition.' Hlebela stated that the establishment of the EMAF aligns with South Africa's broader energy reform agenda, which includes licensing a Market Operator—likely to be the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA)—and the development of comprehensive Market Rules and Codes. These regulations will underpin the operation of the nascent wholesale electricity market, which introduces regulatory activities that are relatively new to the South African context, such as market surveillance and enforcement. Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Strengthening According to NERSA, the EMAF's primary role will be advising NERSA on key regulatory frameworks, including the finalisation of Market Rules and Codes crucial for the market's launch. It added that the forum will also provide insights on the necessary enablers for a competitive market, such as licensing procedures, operational oversight, and enforcement mechanisms. Recognising the complexity and novelty of these activities, NERSA emphasised the importance of stakeholder consultation and institutional capacity building. 'An inclusive consultation process like the EMAF will help ensure all stakeholders are prepared for the evolving market. This initiative will foster readiness among industry players, regulators, and end-users alike, " said Hlebela. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕
