SA-TIED energy expert on SABC's The Bottom Line —the future of clean energy in South Africa

Channing Arndt, an expert in our SA-TIED programme and divisional Director of Environmental and Production Technology at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), appeared on SABC following a policy workshop in Pretoria on 28-29 August. The national broadcast channel asked Professor Arndt to appear on The Bottom Line to discuss recent research from the SA-TIED programme on South Africa’s prospects for a clean energy transition.

Channing Arndt is the work stream leader for the Climate change and energy transition as drivers of change stream of SA-TIED. He responded to concerns about a South African ‘coal addiction’ by assuring viewers that recent research confirms that the cost of coal-fired energy is no longer competitive with wind and solar technologies, and that the least-cost pathway for a clean energy future will be to replace coal-fired power with cleaner, cheaper alternatives as the existing coal-fired architecture reaches the end of its useful life.

“The least-cost solution is when coal power plants reach the end of their useful life, you replace them with wind and solar.” – Channing Arndt

These research findings come at a particularly important time in South Africa as the nation’s policy makers are set to release the new national Integrated Resource Plan, which lays out the target shares of energy production coming from coal, gas, solar, wind, and other sources. South Africa will need to reduce its use of coal-fired energy substantially to comply with their Paris Accord commitments.

Watch the segment: