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Eskom, 21st Century Power Partnership Working Toward More Renewable Electricity in South Africa
20 December 2013
Eskom, South Africa's power utility, with support from the 21st Century Power Partnership and the South African National Energy Development Institute, convened a two-day workshop with regional and global power system experts to support the goal of significantly increasing renewable electricity by 2030.
The workshop was designed to strengthen capacity for renewable integration at Eskom and exchange knowledge between energy experts in the region. Topics included evolving approaches to renewable electricity generation forecasting and integration of renewables on low-voltage networks.
"With a vision to significantly increase renewable electricity by 2030, South Africa is helping lead the way to a clean energy future. With this workshop, Eskom has demonstrated its commitment to realizing the vision articulated in the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity 2010-2030," said Mackay Miller, who represents the 21st Century Power Partnership on behalf of the U.S. Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). "The Power Partnership is excited to partner with Eskom to develop priorities and human capital needed to implement clean energy goals, which are important for the development of the country and the region."
The workshop, held 9-10 December in South Africa, convened Eskom technical and executive leadership together with international experts in the areas of forecasting and power quality. Representatives attending from the Power Partnership Secretariat included Graham Pugh (U.S. Energy Department), Douglas Arent (Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis), and Mackay Miller (NREL).
About Eskom
Eskom provides sustainable electricity solutions to grow the economy and improve the quality of life of the people in South Africa and in the region. Eskom generates approximately 95% of the electricity used in the country and approximately 45% of the electricity used in Africa. Eskom generates, transmits and distributes electricity to industrial, mining, commercial, agricultural, and residential customers and redistributors.
About the 21st Century Power Partnership
The 21st Century Power Partnership aims to accelerate the global transformation of power systems. The Power Partnership is a multilateral effort of the Clean Energy Ministerial and serves as a platform for public-private collaboration to advance integrated policy, regulatory, financial, and technical solutions for the large-scale deployment of renewable energy in combination with deep energy efficiency and smart grid solutions.
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