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JET Municipal Conference: Cape Town shares insights on green energy transition successes

STATEMENT BY THE CITY'S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR ENERGY, ALDERMAN XANTHEA LIMBERG Earlier this week, the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Alderman Xanthea Limberg attended the Inaugural Just Energy Transition (JET) Municipal Conference and participated in a high-level panel discussion over green energy transition financing for municipalities. The conference was hosted by the Presidency between 26 and 27 August 2024 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. The conference gathered key stakeholders to define effective steps for successfully executing the cabinet approved JET Municipal Portfolio, as outlined in the JET Implementation Plan (JET IP).

I am delighted that this important conference was convened not only because of our shared national vision for a more energy resilient and secure South Africa, but also to highlight the significant role municipalities in general and metros in particular have in realising the objectives contained in the JET Implementation Plan. JET municipal financing is one of the crucial levers required to unlock the full potential of South Africa's growing renewable energy ecosystem. With a total of 165 out of our country's 257 municipalities operating as electricity service providers, the local government sphere owns approximately half of the country's distribution grid. This not only makes local government a significant partner in achieving JET objectives, but also a key role player in the development of the growing energy market, attracting investment and opportunities for all. The City of Cape Town is leading a proactive transition toward energy security, marked by record infrastructure investments across all City Directorates, including R9.4 billion in 2023/24 and an ambitious R39.5 billion planned from 2024 to 2027. This infrastructure pipeline includes the City's planned R4 billion electricity grid expansion and upgrades, laying the foundation for a dynamic energy future with multiple power sources and thousands of small-scale generators. It was an absolute pleasure to attend and participate in the panel discussion on 'JET financing in the municipal sector', sharing the City's sound financial management strategies which have enabled us to plan and rollout a multi-billion rand infrastructure and energy resilience programme for Cape Town. As one of the outcomes of the conference, we support and welcome the establishment of a JET Municipal Council focusing on municipal capacity development, financing and energy access. It is our view that the JET is essential for South Africa's clean energy future, sustainable development and economic growth. It is particularly important, as it will benefit all residents by aiming to alleviate energy poverty, harnessing new energy supply and optimising our energy, among others. Municipalities play an important role as the drivers of our energy future when it comes to providing clean and affordable energy to communities, businesses and industry. The conference also gave the City an opportunity to learn from stakeholders across the country and we look forward to building and achieving our sustainable energy future together. End

2024-08-29T22:00:00Z

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