2 September 2008

The City of Cape Town has released the first revision of its State of Energy Report, making it the first city in South Africa to have been through a cycle of two such studies. The first study was completed in 2003.

This State of Energy Report provides the energy profile of the City of Cape Town, including energy policy, demand, and supply options, and considers issues such as energy security, energy access, and climate change.

The report was been tabled at the City’s 80 Energy Committee meeting this week; this Committee consists of 11 Councillors who serve on the Energy Committee established to advise the Mayor and the Mayoral Committee.

The Committee is chaired by Councillor Marian Nieuwoudt, Mayoral Committee Member for Planning and Environment, who was appointed by the Executive Mayor. The report notes important issues such as these, below:

• The City of Cape Town has a very high carbon emission profile at 6.4 tons CO2 per person per year (compared to Western Europe at 4.5 tons and the rest of Africa at 0.6 tons).
• Transport accounts for 54% of energy use in the City. The bulk of the liquid fuel usage (99%) is by private commuters (including minibus taxis), a direct result of the geographic sprawl of our city and the lack of public transport.
• Although coal-fired electricity accounts for 28% of Cape Town’s energy consumption, it results in 66% of the total carbon emissions.
• Compared with the State of Energy Report 2003, there is an increase in the number of informal households which do not use electricity as their main energy source.
• Electricity is the primary energy source in the commercial (63%) and industrial (82%) sectors.

Source: Capetown.gov.za