The end is nigh, I repeat the end is nigh – take only your loved ones (iPod, smartphone, tablet etc) and prepare to eke out an existence in an alternative underground society.

OK things haven’t quite got that bad yet, but it seems there might actually be some substance to those rumours of total blackouts we’ve heard about ad nauseam for months. Ted Blom, a prominent energy analyst, had some bad news for the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) panel at yesterday’s public hearing. He is quoted here on Fin24:

I believe that the probability of a grid meltdown is more than 50%. A total grid collapse is what we don’t want to face because it will take you anything between a week and two weeks to recover, and I’m not even talking about the mayhem that will occur in the meantime.

Eish. It then became very technical but, to boil it down simply, he said it will only get worse before it gets better:

I don’t think it [Eskom] will survive five years in its current state… you decide that for yourself.

I think it is patently clear that this Eskom is not sustainable, a fact that auditors should have whistle-blown on years ago, and I wonder why they haven’t…maybe they don’t want to lose the audit contract.

Now there’s some plain and simple language I think we can all understand.

About that underground society – ideas for energy sources welcome.

[source:fin24]