When Eskom plunges is into load shedding, it is often because it is diverting power to pump water uphill for its storage systems, or filling up the tanks at the 20 diesel generators it uses when its plant falls over. In other words, we may mot have enough storage. So why don’t we get more storage? Partly it is because the energy establishment is still wedded to always-on power — coal of gas or fossil fuels of one kind or the other. And partly because the alternative — batteries — are expensive. But as expensive as constant load shedding? Unlikely. Independent energy analyst Clyde Mallinson tell Peter Bruce in this edition of Podcasts from the Edge that, starting tomorrow, South Africa could begin, at pace, to install up to 35 000 MW of renewable storage by 2035 to completely solve our power problems. Obviously in addition to ramping up solar and wind investment as well. While the government and business slow-talk their way through our crisis the answer is right in from of us. Why transition from coal to gas to renewables? Its a waste of time and money. Go staring for renewables. Gas is obsolete already…..

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