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IRP $2023$ PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS

A cornerstone of our democracy over the past $30$ years has been the participation of citizens in key policies and

decisions that our country embarks on$.$ This is in line with the country$$s founding principle of building a participatory

democracy and listening to the views of our citizens.

This approach is a Constitutional imperative that states that "people's needs must be responded to$,$ and the public must

be encouraged to participate in policymaking$.$ It mandates all spheres of government to ensure that South Africans have

a say in the way they are governed.

The involvement of citizens through public participation allows them to meaningfully influence the decisions that affect

their lives. It also ensures greater co$-$operation, collaboration, and the building of partnerships to improve the lives of

people.

Government once again calls on citizens to make their voice heard on the future of our country$$s energy supply by

engaging with the Integrated Resource Plan $($IRP $2023)$ that was released in January this year for public comment.

The Department of Minerals and Energy published the draft IRP $2023$ which maps out the future energy mix for the

country so that it can solicit public comments on the various assumptions, scenarios and observations made in the plan.

Through their submissions, citizens will have a direct say in how the country addresses the current energy challenges.

Submissions must be made on or before $23$ February $2024$ to the Director$-$General of the Department of Minerals and

Energy.

Our nation$$s Integrated Resource Plan is a living document that is continuously revised and updated as necessitated by

changing circumstances. It was first promulgated in March $2011$ and the last review of the IRP was done in $2019.$

The $2023$ update estimates South Africa's long$-$term electricity demand and charts how this demand for energy can be

met. It considers costs and our climate change commitments in meeting our country$$s demand for electricity.

Through the plan we aim to balance energy generation with demand, while also factoring in the environment and total

cost of supply. The draft IRP $2023$ is based on a scientific process that considers several scenarios and latest

developments in the country$$s electricity industry.

The updated plan sets out two$-$time horizons that includes interventions that will help us in the short$-$term up to $2030,$ and

the energy mix the country will pursue to securing our long$-$term energy supply until $2050.$

In the period up to $2030,$ the plan focuses on addressing prevailing generation constraints and system requirements to

close the energy supply gap. On the other hand, the period from $2031$ to $2050$ focuses on long$-$term electricity generation

to achieve a resilient Net Zero electricity sector by $2050.$

While the draft IRP $2023$ acknowledges that there will be intermittent load shedding until $2028,$ it proposes bold

interventions to stabilise the grid and over time increase energy generation through gas, wind, photovoltaic solar, and

battery storage.

The most significant change relates to the allocation for new gas$-$to$-$power, which has been increased from the $3000$ MW

outlined in the IRP $2019$ to $7220$ MW$.$ It raises our installed base of gas and diesel generation to $11050$ MW in $2030,$ up

from the $6380$ MW assumed in the current plan.

Power generation such as nuclear, renewables, clean coal and gas that can be immediately active when needed has

been singled out to provide security of supply and assist our decarbonisation. Furthermore, our energy system will

require a massive new build programme and scaling up of our transmission network between $2031$ and $2050.$

The energy plan shows government is committed to addressing our energy challenge and building a better tomorrow. We

cannot however do it alone and need citizens to play their part by engaging with the country$$s energy plan.

In doing so every citizen can partner with us on changing our energy situation. Our nation has always been at its

strongest when we work together as citizens and communities to effect change.

$($Source: By Calvin Augustine: Sanews.gov.za$,2023).$ Identify and provide a definition of the term 'administrator' in the article above. Provide reasons for your

answer.