Political Parties Share Their Views On Renewable Energy

What do South Africa's major political parties think about the adoption of renewable energy in the country?

We asked the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, PA, MK Party and Rise Mzansi for their positions on this matter. Only MK failed to respond.

DA: The Democratic Alliance firmly believes that renewable energy generation provides the quickest and most cost-effective solution to mitigate the impact of load shedding in the short term. It is for this reason that DA governments at municipal and provincial level are making it easier and cheaper for businesses and residents to install rooftop solar and providing feed-in tariffs for them to sell excess electricity back to the municipality.

In this regard, we believe that it is necessary to incentivise (through tax rebates) the purchase and installation of rooftop PV systems, and to review the import duties on PV panels, batteries and control systems. We also strongly support the principle that municipalities that have the resources and capacity should be permitted to procure their own generation capacity and/or supply, instead of relying on an increasingly unreliable Eskom.

In the slightly longer timeframe (three to five years), it is necessary to upgrade South Africa's transmission infrastructure to enable more utility-scale renewable energy generation to connect to the grid. Simultaneously, the country needs to invest in storage to ensure on-demand availability and to minimise the variability of renewable energy.

This should not be taken to suggest an immediate decommissioning of South Africa's coal fleet, but rather a phased approach to keep the lights on and rebuild our economy.

EFF: The Economic Freedom Fighters strongly advocates for a diversified approach to energy generation, with a keen focus on renewable energy sources. Our stance is to prioritise a mix of energy sources, including clean coal, gas, nuclear and renewables, including solar, wind and hydro-energy. This approach ensures energy stability while also advancing towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy landscape.

In terms of timeline, the EFF government proposes a comprehensive strategy. By 2025, we aim to establish an internal renewable energy division within Eskom, focusing on solar, wind and hydro-energy, thus enhancing our capacity to build and maintain infrastructure in these sectors.

Additionally, by the same year, we commit to establishing a research and development centre dedicated to advancing technology in renewable energy and batteries, which will create 2 500 new jobs with a significant portion reserved for women and youth.

Further, by 2027, the EFF government plans to significantly ramp up infrastructure development for renewables. This includes the construction of solar farms, wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, geothermal plants and biomass power stations, thereby accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable energy ecosystem.

To incentivise private sector participation in renewable energy, we will introduce a special tax incentive for businesses investing in renewable energy and sustainable practices. This measure aims to stimulate investment in renewables while promoting environmental responsibility within the corporate sector.

In summary, the EFF's position on renewable energy underscores our commitment to energy stability, sustainability, job creation and technological advancement. We believe that by embracing renewable energy alongside other energy sources, we can achieve a balanced and resilient energy infrastructure that benefits both the economy and the environment.

IFP: The IFP is committed to addressing South Africa's severe energy crisis through a comprehensive and innovative mixed energy supply strategy. Recognising the challenges of corruption, mismanagement and a lack of strategic vision that have rendered our energy supply unreliable and unsustainable, we propose a multifaceted approach to ensure a stable, efficient, and inclusive energy sector.

Freedom Front Plus: The investment in renewable energy is crucial, and the regulatory environment should be to the advancement of such. In the short-term it is, however, important to ensure optimal and sustainable energy supply from traditional sources whilst such transition takes place. We cannot afford decommissioning functional coal power stations if there are not renewable generation plants that efficiently replace such generation capacity.

The harvesting, storage and transmission of renewable energy should be emphasised. Underdeveloped parts of the country, particularly in the Northern Cape and Western Cape, are perfectly located