Energy Law
Energy law focuses on the regulatory system overseeing the provision and production of energy. This field of law has become extremely vast and overlaps with aspects of procurement, environment, carbon tax and at times property law. The National Development Plan (NDP) envisages that, by 2030, South Africa will have an energy sector that provides reliable and efficient energy service at competitive rates; that is socially equitable through expanded access to energy at affordable tariffs; and that is environmentally sustainable through reduced emissions and pollution. In formulating its vision for the energy sector, the NDP took as a point of departure the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2010–2030 promulgated in March 2011. The promulgated IRP 2010–2030 identified the preferred generation technology required to meet expected demand growth up to 2030. It incorporated government objectives such as affordable electricity, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduced water consumption, diversified electricity generation sources, localisation and regional development. The IRP also provides for mixed energy diversity, including coal, nuclear, natural gas, renewable energy and hydro power.
Energy projects require integrated and cross-sectoral skills to enable clients to understand the vast terrain of:
- Licensing and permits
- Environmental assessments and issues about waste, water, air quality and climate change
- Construction lifecycles
- Procurement processes
- Public Private Partnerships
- Service Level Agreements
- Civil Society Response
- Competitor Response to entry
