NEW ENERGY VERSUS COAL IN SO. AFRICA

In South Africa, Renewables Vie With the Political Power of Coal; Although coal has dominated the South African electricity sector for decades, the country’s abundant solar and wind resources offer a promising renewable energy alternative. But entrenched political interests connected to the ruling party are fighting to expand coal’s role in the national economy.

Adam Welz, 12 December 2013 (Yale Environment360)

“…South Africa [is the continent’s] richest country and the world’s sixth-largest coal exporter, seventh-largest coal producer, and thirteenth-largest CO2 emitter, with per-capita emissions twice the global average. Ninety-four percent of the country’s electricity comes from coal, as does almost half its liquid transport fuel…[But South Africa has] abundant renewable energy resources…largely unharnessed for power generation until last year, when the government [budgeted some $5.5 billion and] began inviting private investors to produce cleaner electricity…[but the government also] plans to increase coal exports and the production of electricity from coal…[Environmentalists say] Coal 3, the proposed new plant, is a particularly bad idea…[Greenpeace Africa] sees Coal 3 as a last-gasp attempt by the coal industry to entrench itself in the region’s future…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet