Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and Draft Electricity Recommendations: Comments on behalf of the Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa

The Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa argue that the JET-IP is heavily skewed toward private sector interests and large-scale infrastructure, specifically green hydrogen, at the expense of community-led renewable energy and social investment. They highlight critical gaps in policy alignment, the lack of transparency regarding debt and loan agreements, and the failure to adequately address the health impacts of air pollution at the Medupi and Kusile power stations. The authors call for a reprioritization of funding toward transmission grid strengthening and socially owned energy models, while warning that the current approach to decommissioning coal plants, as seen at Komati, lacks the necessary community participation to be considered 'just'.

• The JET-IP's approach to electricity decarbonisation is viewed as overly reliant on the private sector, with insufficient funding for social ownership models (R1.65 billion) and a lack of dedicated support for small-scale agriculture in coal-affected areas like Mpumalanga.
• There is a significant concern that incoherent national policies and competing departmental plans could undermine the JET-IP and jeopardize the mobilization of an additional USD 90 billion required between 2023 and 2027.
• The authors criticize the prioritization of the green hydrogen economy, which is allocated ZAR 319 billion, arguing that this is a 'highly speculative' market and that these funds should instead be redirected to urgent needs like transmission grid strengthening.
• The document argues that green hydrogen is an inefficient solution for general decarbonization compared to direct electrification, noting that a hydrogen-powered car uses only 38% of original electricity compared to 80% for an electric vehicle.
• Serious concerns are raised regarding air quality at the Medupi and Kusile power stations, noting that Medupi has failed to install FGD technology despite receiving USD 6.43 billion in loans, and Kusile has used exemptions to bypass FGD plants.
• The decommissioning of the Komati Coal Power station is cited as a failure of the 'Just Transition' process due to a lack of timely community engagement and transparency regarding socio-economic studies.
• The authors identify a critical lack of data and funding for the remediation of ownerless and derelict mines, stating that the JET-IP acknowledges difficulties in securing costings for such remediation.
• The document calls for a shift toward a decentralized energy model where the bulk of generation is dispersed through households and community mini-grids, and objects to the privatization of Eskom's generators.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2023). Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and Draft Electricity Recommendations: Comments on behalf of the Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LAC-and-FFCSA-Comments-on-the-JET-IP-3-April-2023-1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and Draft Electricity Recommendations: Comments on behalf of the Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa. 2023. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LAC-and-FFCSA-Comments-on-the-JET-IP-3-April-2023-1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and Draft Electricity Recommendations: Comments on behalf of the Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa |date=3 April 2023 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LAC-and-FFCSA-Comments-on-the-JET-IP-3-April-2023-1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2023just, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and Draft Electricity Recommendations: Comments on behalf of the Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LAC-and-FFCSA-Comments-on-the-JET-IP-3-April-2023-1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }