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Electricity Overview
South Africa currently has an electrical generating total of 51,309 megawatts (MW). This electricity is comprised of 46,776 MW from thermal sources including coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear 661 MW generated by hydroelectric, and 3,872 MW from other renewable sources including solar and wind. Around 86% of South Africans currently have access to electricity, 66% from rural and 93% of urban households. This accounts to nearly 2.2 million households without power.

Coal
Coal is the most used source of generating electricity in South Africa accounting for around 77% of the current electricity production. Coal in South Africa has 5 companies that account for 85% of the production of saleable coal and these companies include Ingwe Collieries Limited, Anglo Coal, Sasol, Eyesizwe, and Kumba Resources Limited. Coal is an abundant resource in South Africa and the reason why coal has a such a low cost of production for energy per MW. South Africa is also the the worlds 7th largest exporter of coal most of which is exported to other African countries. Within South Africa’s 2030 Energy Plan there is the goal of only increasing production of electricity from coal by 1000 MW and decreasing the countries usage of coal for energy down to 46% of total energy consumption.

Nuclear
South Africa first began using nuclear energy in the 1980s when it constructed a nuclear power station. Within South Africa there are a considerable amount of uranium deposits and therefore has the capability to use nuclear energy more than the current consumption of around 6% of the country’s energy needs. Minister Jeff Radebe has come out in support of no increase in nuclear generating electricity within the country until the year 2030 when it will be reevaluated against current needs. This is a change in action as the former President Jacob Zuma had been pushing for the construction of eight new nuclear power generating stations. For South Africa’s 2030 Energy Plan Nuclear is projected to only represent 2% of energy production.

Solar/Wind
South Africa is currently under-utilizing it's solar capacity. South Africa has an estimated 220 W/m2 capability compared to 150 W/m2 in US and 100 W/m2 in Europe. South Africa is an ideal candidate for the wide spread use of photovoltaic cells as a form of generating the electrical needs of the country. A new contract for $4.7 billion dollars allocated to 27 different projects consisting of mainly solar and wind projects that hope to increase current production of electricity through renewable sources. With the increase in spending to renewable sources South Africa's 2030 Energy Plan is projected to increase solar production to 11% of the countries energy needs and increase wind production to 15% of the countries energy needs. South Africa has over 30 installed wind energy projects and the most dominant reason comes from the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme. With these Programmes of wind energy they have created an estimated 30,000 jobs total in construction and operation of the onshore wind farms.

Future Goals
South Africa has made changes to future goals for energy sources and has committed itself to 36% of energy production coming from fully renewable sources of solar, wind, and electric power. In the goal is to lower the reliance upon coal as a source of energy for the country from producing 77% to producing 46% of the countries electrical needs.