A feverish pace of energy-related policy processes has been set in motion this year. The South African government announced almost in one breath that they were to finalise the second Integrated Resource Plan, the Integrated Energy Plan and the Climate Change Response Policy, amongst others. What’s more is that these policies hold dramatic implications for the country’s energy future. For instance, the IRP2 will make key decisions for electricity planning for the next 20 years which locks us into particular technology-favoured choices. In this context, the dominant development ideas, interrelated institutions, incentives and interest groups play an important role in the process to draft and shape the new policies and support their implementation. South Africa is still trying to deal with a recent past where energy policy was considered as captured by narrow interests. This gave rise to what was widely known as the minerals-energy complex, the effects of which we are still experiencing today. As government proceeds with its new Capital Expansion Programme - developed as a response to the electricity crisis of 2008 - the building more coal and nuclear power stations, which it is largely based on, makes us question again in whose interest decisions are being taken. Furthermore, we need to understand how to foster accountability and broad based participation through policy and policy processes so that corruption is reduced and more sustainable energy solutions are favoured. Adequately tackling the crises of energy poverty, and climate change are dependent on it.

This two-day meeting of the energy caucus is designed to focus on the issues that have been thrown up by civil society engagements in the various policy processes, given the above issues. In particular, we ask and hope to engage on answers to the following questions: