[Episode #106] – Transition in South Africa

South Africa is one of the most coal-dependent countries in the world, with abundant (if low-grade) coal resources, a grid that is almost entirely powered by coal, an industrial base that is powered by coal, and a huge fiscal dependence on coal exports. And it’s debt-laden state-owned power company is not only in need of repeated bailouts, but is also now ruining the country’s credit rating. But South Africa also has excellent wind and solar resources, enabling renewable projects to easily beat coal on price. So one would think that energy transition there is a no-brainer. But the picture is actually much more complex, having more to do with politics than technology or economics.

So we turned to Jesse Burton, an energy policy researcher in the Energy Systems Research group at the University of Cape Town and a senior associate at the London-based think tank E3G to help us understand the current reality, and the future potential, of energy in South Africa. Join us as she leads us on a fascinating tour of a country that has one of the highest proportional carbon footprints today, but could be the poster child of energy transition in the future.

Guest:

Jesse Burton is an energy policy researcher in the Energy Systems Research group at the University of Cape Town where she focuses on the South African coal sector, electricity, and industrial policy. She is also a senior associate at London-based think tank E3G.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jesse_Burton

On the Web: https://uct.academia.edu/JesseBurton

Recording date: September 22, 2019

Air date: October 16, 2019

Geek rating: 5