Sustainable Energy Markets
What we do
Our mission is to be a pioneer in Cape Town’s energy landscape that, through partnerships, drives innovative projects, policies, and processes to progressively achieve energy security and navigate the energy transition to the benefit of all.
Our objectives support the vision and programme of action of the City’s Energy Strategy: Our Shared Energy Future, approved by full Council on 26 October 2023.
The vision of the strategy is energy security for a prosperous Cape Town, which is built on the principles of reliability, affordability, carbon neutrality over time and resilience. Our programme of action commits to harnessing new energy supply; alleviating energy poverty and optimising energy use. Additionally, it commits to enabling a future fit, sustainable electricity utility and empowering residents, business and partners.
Short, medium and long-term goals:
- Short term: mitigate up to four stages of load-shedding in the City of Cape Town supply area.
- Medium term: reform the electricity utility into a modern and financially sustainable provider.
- Long-term: transform the energy system to be carbon neutral by 2050.
"Energy is the lifeblood of our citizen’s households, the economy that supports them and the efficient and effective functioning of the City. The Sustainable Energy Markets Department's drive to enhance energy security and low carbon development toward an energy future that is sustainable and inclusive supports the vision and mission of Cape Town as a prosperous, inclusive and healthy City of Hope for all."
Leila Mahomed Weideman
Director: Sustainable Energy Markets
We include
Generation Development and Energy Efficiency in Municipal Operations
We design and deliver high quality power generation, procurement, and energy efficiency projects for the City. We also drive energy efficiency within City operations through the adoption of innovative technologies.
Sustainable Energy Facilitation
We support households and businesses in the changing energy landscape by communicating how to make good energy decisions and collaborating with stakeholders to address barriers to change.
Data Management and Integration Platforms
We aim to harness data management and analysis that supports evidence-based decision-making.
Strategy, Policy and Partnerships
We seek to identify and unblock systemic barriers to navigating the energy transition in the City and with partners.
Department highlights
Energy Strategy
Our energy strategy, titled ‘Our Shared Energy Future: The 2050 Energy Strategy for the City of Cape Town’, aims to achieve energy security for a prosperous Cape Town by ending load-shedding over time and navigating the changing energy system to the benefit of all. We want to work together to build a resilient energy system where all residents and businesses have access to reliable, affordable, and carbon neutral energy services.
This will be achieved through the implementation of three commitments and two enablers:
- Commitment 1: Harness new energy supply
- Commitment 2: Alleviate energy poverty
- Commitment 3: Optimise energy use
- Enabler A: Operate a future-fit utility business
- Enabler B: Action by residents, businesses and partners
State of Energy Report
Since 2003, the City has published the State of Energy report to illustrate how energy and emissions play out across the different service sectors in our city. The reports aim to provide a data-rich evidence base for decision makers, support researchers and planners and ensure operational transparency in the energy sector. It focuses on aspects of electricity, transport and waste in the city, and how these can transition into more sustainable operations.
Find the latest report and previous publications below:
View all reports and publications
Did you know?
Our department has already retrofitted over 100 municipal buildings with energy saving mechanisms and installed over 650 smart electricity meters to help reduce costs.
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