While South Africa has seen the installation of more than 590 MW of rooftop solar power in the year-to-date, which adds to other renewable-energy installations, the question remains whether State-owned power utility Eskom will be able to timeously build the 14 000 km of transmission lines needed to expand the electricity network.  In response to questions raised during Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa’s Ministerial Conference hosted on September 17, Energy and Electricity Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré said government was exploring options to alleviate pressure on the national grid.
A new South Africa-wide survey shows that, while 62% of respondents support the shift from coal to renewable energy, a striking 65% have never heard of the term ‘Just Transition’. In addition, the majority of respondents expressed concern about possible negative impacts for themselves and their families, with 29% indicating that they are ‘somewhat worried’ about such impacts and 20% reporting a ‘high level of worry’. Compiled for the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) by the Human Sciences Research Council, the survey involved some 3 100 respondents from across South Africa, making it the first nationally representative survey of public perceptions and attitudes relating to the Just Transition and climate change.