The objective of this policy brief is to present possible ways of including renewable energy in South Africa’s COVID-19 stimulus package. While the case for renewable energy investment has been accepted in the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019, this brief hones in on the economic benefit, responding to the need to kickstart the economy in the wake of local lockdowns and international economic impacts of COVID-19.
It presents a rationale for an infrastructure-led recovery package that has multiple parallel benefits for climate-resilience, socio-economic benefit and job creation, and improving service delivery over time. These benefits are unpacked in the brief. Additionally, it considers mechanisms for unlocking the potential of renewable energy.
