Response from the Life After Coal campaign to the President’s energy crisis plan

The Life After Coal campaign expresses support for rolling out renewable energy and battery storage from the 2019 IRP but strongly opposes the use of the energy crisis to introduce gas into the electricity mix. The campaign argues that gas is not a transitional fuel and poses risks of stranded assets and higher costs for consumers. It further criticises the potential for privatising new generation and the lack of specific support for rooftop solar for poor South Africans whose housing may not support such installations. The document also warns that Eskom's repurposing plans favour expensive gas turbines over low-cost solar power.

• The campaign opposes the introduction of gas into the energy mix, asserting that gas is not a "transitional" fuel and risks becoming a stranded asset due to the availability of cheaper alternatives. It notes that gas power stations emit substantial greenhouse gases and that gas prices are volatile, which would likely increase electricity costs for consumers.
• There is a significant disparity in Eskom's repurposing plans for power stations scheduled for shutdown: the plan proposes 400 MW of solar power at a cost of R6.4 billion, compared to 5,750 MW of new closed cycle gas turbines at an estimated cost of R198 billion.
• The campaign warns that the President's plan may accelerate the privatisation of new electricity generation, which could lead to a "downward spiral" for Eskom as a public utility. It argues that by allowing low-cost renewables to be privatised while Eskom retains high-cost coal and gas capacity, Eskom will lose the opportunity to lower its overall generating costs.
• While welcoming support for rooftop solar, the campaign highlights that the majority of poor South Africans have rooftops that are not strong enough to support solar panels and calls for an equitable feed-in tariff.
• The campaign expresses concern that "cutting red tape" in the President's plan could lead to the circumvention of essential environmental, climate, and social impact assessments, particularly for fossil fuel projects.

APA

Nozuko (2022). Response from the Life After Coal campaign to the President’s energy crisis plan. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/news/response-from-the-life-after-coal-campaign-to-the-presidents-energy-crisis-plan

Chicago

Nozuko. Response from the Life After Coal campaign to the President’s energy crisis plan. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2022. https://cer.org.za/news/response-from-the-life-after-coal-campaign-to-the-presidents-energy-crisis-plan.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Nozuko |title=Response from the Life After Coal campaign to the President’s energy crisis plan |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=27 July 2022 |url=https://cer.org.za/news/response-from-the-life-after-coal-campaign-to-the-presidents-energy-crisis-plan |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{nozuko2022response, author = {Nozuko}, title = {{Response from the Life After Coal campaign to the President’s energy crisis plan}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://cer.org.za/news/response-from-the-life-after-coal-campaign-to-the-presidents-energy-crisis-plan}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }