Renewable Energy Quietly Killing Coal in South Africa

The howling wind drives the turbines, their blades bent back from the force as they spin in the evening light and send electricity to local villages in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
Renewable energy has a long way to go to overtake South Africa’s reliance on coal though. It is number 11 in the world for total CO2 output from energy use and the fifth largest producer of the climate-changing fossil fuel.
The situation seems poised to get worse as construction continues on Medupi, the largest dry cooled coal-fired power station in the world.
Meant to be completed by 2013, the station has been mired in delays and cost overruns since construction first started in 2007.