Load shedding is leaving millions of South Africans in the dark. South Africa’s largest public utility, Eskom simply cannot keep up with our country’s growing demand for power with old and increasingly unreliable coal plants. As a result, electricity insecurity is crippling South Africa’s business and our daily lives. Our nation deserves better.
Luckily, there is a way to advocate for alternative energy sources and combat harmful climate change at the same time. Right now, the world is waiting for South Africa to introduce its intended nationally determined contribution (INDC), a declaration of our commitment to reduce our country’s carbon pollution ahead of the international climate negotiations in Paris this December. Phasing out unsustainable coal plants and replacing them with wind, solar and other clean energy technology is the best way for us to step into the light of a low-carbon energy future – a future that provides clean, affordable energy for all South Africans and protects our ecosystem and climate for future generations.
Load shedding is, after all, a symptom of larger environmental and economic issues. In South Africa, electricity insecurity is our daily reality, and it’s paralyzing our economy as refrigerators, factories and local businesses shut down when the power is out. Due to unreliable schedules, we often find ourselves caught unaware. Not everyone can afford expensive backup generators. And why should everyone have to purchase a standby system when we’re already paying our electric bills?
Meanwhile, Eskom generates 95% of our electricity. Its crumbling plants harbour outdated technology that will continue to age, increasing the frequency and severity of load shedding. One former Eskom advisor has predicted that load shedding will occur until 2023. And patching up old plants is only a temporary fix, like slapping a plaster over a gaping wound. Meanwhile, our power sector is responsible for nearly half our country’s carbon emissions because of its reliance on coal. South Africa needs an energy revolution in order to transition to a more reliable and low-carbon energy outlook.
So, how can we bring our country back into the light? Above all, we must look beyond Eskom and their reliance on coal, which leads to environmentally damaging, inconsistent energy. South Africa is a beautiful country blessed with natural resources. Many of us understand these gifts as minerals trapped underground, but the truth is the wind and sun above us are even more valuable in the long run.
South Africa has enough wind potential alone to generate much more than South Africa’s current energy needs, according to a study by the Energy Centre at the CSIR. And wind has already protected us from shedding; wind energy helped to avoid more than 200 hours of load shedding in the first six months of 2015 alone, an equivalent value of ZAR1.5 billion. That is on top of wind energy having saved Eskom net cash that would have been spent on diesel and coal to the amount of ZAR300 million in the same period.
Furthermore, most regions in South Africa receive more than 2,500 kilowatt -hours of sun energy per square metre per year, making South Africa’s potential for solar energy one of the highest in the world. However, we are currently ranked tenth for countries harnessing utility scale solar power, utilizing roughly one gigawatt of installed utility scale solar capacity. By comparison, the number one-ranked country, Germany, has 1.5 millions solar plants (small to large rooftop and utility scale) with and installed capacity of 40 gigawatts. We can do so much more with this abundant resource.
Solar is also a key way to bring power to the fifteen percent of South Africans without access to electricity. By providing homes, townships and entrepreneurs with small, portable solar panels and solar kits, we can give access to electricity earlier, while waiting for time-consuming transmission infrastructure upgrades that hamper our ability to provide our entire population with access to affordable energy in time.
Ahead of the international climate negotiations in Paris this December (COP21) our leaders have an opportunity to lead by setting an example with our INDC. It is crucial that demonstrate to the world our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean energy.
We can’t leave our nation in the dark any longer.
