The WWF is run at a local level by the following offices...

The makeup, efficiency and use of energy are key elements of integrated energy planning. 

• Primary energy supply (all sources): Primary energy is where the energy is coming from: the original source, be it fossil fuels, renewable energy or nuclear power. 

• Final energy demand: Energy is transformed throughout the system, and some energy is lost with each transformation. The final energy describes how each sector consumes this energy. In all scenarios, the rate of electrification increases, and in general this increases the efficiency of the energy system. 

• Electricity supply: Higher electrification rates imply a need for more electricity. Exactly what provides the energy for the electricity system is guided by the Integrated Resource Plan, but modelling different future supply and demand scenarios that include non-electricity sectors obviously has implications for the electricity supply. 

• All energy costs: This is a measure of the capital and operational expenditure at a national level on the energy used by all sectors. 

• Electricity system costs: Whilst actual household and business electricity costs depend on the tariff structure imposed by the regulator and municipalities; the baseline price is derived from the overall cost of the electricity system. 

Energy has an essential role to play in turning around South Africa’s high levels of unemployment. Firstly, the sector is a large employer, and employer, and it underpins the viability of all the sectors of the economy. All employment is tracked in different education groups to help evaluate the need for training and skills upliftment  

• Whole economy employment: Growth in employment is a critical developmental indicator, and the SATIMGE model enables tracking of this across all scenarios. 

• Energy sector employment: This is vital to measure the potential for a just transition. While the model is not spatially disaggregated, it does give a sense of the potential for the energy sector to absorb and expand employment in the sector.

One major shortcoming of the draft national IEPs to date is that they do not consider national commitments to decarbonisation, the impacts of pollution, and other critical elements of environmental justice. Although the Illustrative People’s Energy Plan does not make internal model decisions on this basis, there was a strong call in the Ideal Energy Scenario to track and consider these impacts.  

• CO₂ emissions: This is the measure of whether the necessary net-zero CO2 emissions target required to align with a below 2 °C climate warming is achieved. The measure is economy wide, not just for the energy sector. 

• Non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions: There are several non-CO2 greenhouse gases that also need to be curtailed by 2070, but the total warming impact of South Africa’s emissions depends on both CO2 and non-CO2 emissions. Again, this is tracked for the whole economy, not just the energy sector. 

• Air pollution: Sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and particulate matter (soot and small smoke particles) place a very heavy burden on people’s health. These outputs provide a means of assessing the overall impact of different scenarios on this critical outcome. 

• Water usage by the energy system: In a water-scarce country, the amount of water used by the energy system (including in mining) is notable. These graphs compare the direct water usage of the energy system, but not the upstream usage. Note: green hydrogen has a significant water footprint.  

• Land used by renewable energy: It is important to track the spatial footprint of RE which can be extensive. One can reduce the impact through rooftop PV, co-location with agriculture (termed agrivoltaics) and through the integration of agriculture and/or nature conservation on wind farms.