What a difference six months can make. From enduring almost daily blackouts, which threatened to plunge our faltering economy into recession, power to homes and businesses was cut for just 2.5 hours in the past 87 days because of load-shedding ordered by Eskom.Even better, no load-shedding is expected until at least April next year.Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, who was parachuted in from Transnet in April, is running a much tighter ship. Planned maintenance at our ageing power stations is obviously being better synchronised and the power utility has managed to find the extra 3000MW or so required to keep the lights on.More essential maintenance will be done over the December holidays, when demand is lower because most factories close.But better management, and the positive effects for the strained power grid of prolonged sunny weather, do not tell the whole story.Actual demand for electricity is sharply down on last year as the critically important manufacturing and mining sectors continue to shrink under the impact of the commodities rout, a stronger dollar, labour unrest, power constraints and growing unease about the direction of our economic policy.As one commentator put it yesterday: "South Africa Inc is closing down."In other words, Eskom's recent successes are in part a product of the country's failings.This is not to argue that the good work Molefe and his team are doing is pointless.After protracted delays brought about by disputes with contractors and industrial action, solid progress is being achieved at the Medupi and Kusile megaprojects, which are now expected to be fully operational in 2019 and 2021 respectively.A stable power supply is a few years away, but it is coming, which has to be good for what remains of our heavy industry, not to mention future investment.It's just that, like the visa fiasco, the effects of the power crisis will be with us for years...