Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has gazetted amendments to the Electricity Regulations on New Generation Capacity to allow municipalities to embark on their own power generation projects.
The amendment will enable municipalities in good standing to approach Mantashe directly to generate or buy new generation capacity.
This is to ensure an orderly development that is in line with the applicable Integrated Resource Plan and municipal Integrated Development Plans. 
Last week President Cyril Ramaphosa told Parliament government was accelerating the implementation of the IRP to provide a substantial increase in the contribution of renewable energy sources, battery storage and gas technology. 
This should bring around 11800MW of new generation capacity into the system by 2022.
Ramaphosa said the immediate-term agreements would be finalised with independent power producers to connect more than 2000MW of additional capacity from existing projects by June next year.