[imagesource: Alon Skuy]

Even if you only have the most passing interest in what’s happening over at Eskom, you’ll know the words ‘code red’ are cause for concern.

As part of the power utility’s three-month outlook for demand and generating capacity, there is a four-tiered risk level, evaluating how likely outages are.

This runs from a green risk category (“adequate generation to meet demand and reserves”) through to ‘code red’, which is “over 2 001MW short to meet demand and reserves”.

In simple terms, in at least six of the next 13 weeks, Eskom says it will “definitely” be between 1 000 megawatts (MW) and 2 000MW short, and there is a high likelihood of load shedding every single week until mid-April.

Speaking with MyBroadband, energy expert Chris Yelland went a step further:

[He] warned that the forecast is only for three months, and that the situation can extend well beyond April.

He added that there is nothing that Eskom is currently doing which will significantly alter the situation which it finds itself in.

Much like our national lockdown, which has gone from being a few weeks into day 298 of living under some form of alert level, load shedding is here to stay.

Another energy expert, Professor Anton Eberhard from UCT, called Eskom’s current situation “code red for the next three months”.

Eskom’s Weekly System Status Report, which included this graph, backs that up:

Image: Eskom Weekly System Status Report

It’s now been a full 13 years since load shedding first occurred in South Africa, and still, those who have sunk Eskom beyond repair refuse to take any responsibility.

The recent Zondo Commission appearances of Matshela Koko and Brian Molefe are enough to make one’s blood boil.

Quite amazingly, I still see people on neighbourhood Facebook groups who seem unable to work out their load shedding hours.

It’s not that hard, people. Download EskomSePush, choose the area you live in, and voila.

In addition, Cape Town is often one load shedding stage lower than the rest of the country, due to the generating of power from the City’s Steenbras Pumped Storage Plant and other management interventions.

Once the City has clarified whether or not that is the case, the EskomSePush app updates accordingly. Here’s what somebody living in Gardens is currently looking at, as of around 11:30AM today:

There it is, plain and simple, and the neighbourhood Facebook group can go back to what it was meant for, like people bickering over picking up dog turds and wearing masks.

If you’d rather avoid EskomSePush, Memeburn has a list of apps and tools to help you keep up to speed.

Personally, I would love to see an app that tracks the many, many agents of State Capture, and keeps us up to speed with what, if any, legal ramifications they are facing.

On the other hand, it would be utterly rage-inducing, and who needs that in 2021?

[sources:mybroadband&memeburn]