‘SA govt needs bold energy transition vision’

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) says government needs a bold energy transition vision.

Speaking to SABC Digital News at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue in Germany, SAPVIA Chairperson David Crown says the challenge government is facing is making sure people understand where they are going in terms of energy plans.

Crown says, “There needs to be a bold vision as the vision is not clear enough at this stage, so the bold vision is critical and then to get people to participate in the transition, so that people understand it’s not something for a bunch of big companies or for Eskom, it is about them, it’s also about the individuals and the communities.”

He says government’s policy on energy is not very clear and that is part of the problem.

“We need that IRP (Interpreted Resource Plan), but above the IRP we’ve got certain policy documents, we’ve got the Green Economy Accord, we’ve got the NDP (National Development Plan) in place, so that signals the type of economy we need to chase if we are going to turn around all the youth unemployment and unemployment, turn around skills deficit that we have,” Crown adds.

He says what seems to be lacking is a champion who will enforce the message and take the country with them.

Meanwhile, International Renewable Energy Agency Director-General, Adnan Z. Amin says, “South Africa  is at a very interesting juncture. There was a period when the country was growing rapidly in terms of renewables.”

He says there has been a lot of turbulence in South Africa’s energy policy, however, there is a strong case for renewables.

“What we are hearing now in terms of new perceptions of governance in South Africa is that renewables will be put back on track,” adds Amin.