Le complessità della spaccatura nelle fonti di energia rinnovabili
In Africa's heart, South Africa is grappling with an energy crisis and the urgent need for a fair energy transition. This shift, aimed at moving away from coal and towards renewable energy sources, has sparked debates and concerns about its potential impact on the country's poor and vulnerable.
The South African government introduced the "Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme" (REIPPPP) as a development initiative to tackle social inequality and improve the affordability of renewable energy for the poor. However, a household-level renewables revolution could exacerbate the clean energy divide, leaving more of the country's poor behind.
According to Dr Tracy Ledger, head of the Energy Transition Programme at the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), the government has been absent in addressing the electricity crisis. The state-owned power utility had shortfalls of 4000 to 6000 megawatts in generation capacity this autumn, leading to power blackouts for 10 hours a day.
During these blackouts, the poorest and most vulnerable were left without electricity. This situation has been criticized, with the Free Basic Electricity policy (2003) needing updating to meet changing needs and having been criticized for being too cumbersome in registering indigent households or effective in managing funds from National Treasury.
In response to these challenges, the International Partners Group pledged USD 8.5 billion over the next five years to kickstart South Africa's fair energy transition. Ledger, who is based at PARI, advocates for energy poverty to be addressed as part of the country's fair energy transition plan.
Meanwhile, the middle class has been picking up the slack during the electricity crisis. They have sought alternative energy sources due to the failing electricity grid, and solar panel imports reached a peak worth of 3.6 million South African Rand in Q1 2023. The total value of solar panel imports in 2022 was ZAR 5.6 billion.
The overarching call is for South Africa to abandon coal, which constitutes 80% of the energy mix. Thandile Chinyavanhu, a climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, emphasizes that a 'fair energy transition' should intersect with social and environmental justice, gender rights, and ensure workers are not shut out of the new green energy economy.
As the country navigates this transition, it is crucial to avoid the narrative that blames the middle class for the widening clean energy divide. Ledger warns against this, calling it a false dichotomy, distraction, and deflection by an incapable state.
For more information on these issues, you can visit the Energy Transition Programme webpage at PARI or the Gauteng City-Region Observatory. The 2023 State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa also provides insights into the government's plans for addressing the energy crisis and promoting a fair energy transition.
The broken promise of affordable energy for all is a pressing concern, and it remains to be seen how South Africa will overcome these challenges and ensure a fair and sustainable energy transition for all its citizens.
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