Govt urged to include IRP adjustment that steers renewables jobs the way of coal regions

South Africa should consider including a policy adjustment in its upcoming Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) directing developers of new renewable-energy infrastructure to build projects in regions currently geared towards coal mining and coal-fired electricity production. University of Johannesburg professor Dr Tobias Bischof-Niemz, who works for German renewable-energy group Enertrag, acknowledges that such an adjustment will represent a deviation from the least-cost IRP. However, he argues that the socioeconomic benefits are likely to outweigh the additional costs.