MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Load shedding, or load reduction, is done countrywide by Eskom as a controlled option to respond to unplanned events to protect the electricity power system from a total blackout.
While generally the word blackout is used loosely to mean "no lights" in a local area, a countrywide blackout has much more serious consequences, which can occur when there is too much demand and too little supply, bringing the power system into an imbalance - tripping the power system in its entirety.
Load shedding, however, is managed solely by Eskom. The Mossel Bay Central Business District, Hartenbos and immediate surrounding areas are fed from the Eskom 66/11 kV substation outside Aalwyndal which, according to Eskom, must stay on at all times to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to the Voorbaai diesel pump station which must continuously supply diesel to the Eskom Gouriqua Power station.
This is why residents of other areas may see the lights on in certain areas of Mossel Bay while load shedding is applied to the rest of town.
Eskom generates, transports and distributes electricity and this is managed predominantly by Eskom for the entire country.
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