New Energy
South African Court Says State Can’t Order New Coal Plants
- Judge says decision on new plants violates right to health
- South Africa has the most carbon-intensive economy of the G-20
The Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Arnot coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
South Africa’s High Court upheld a legal challenge to the government’s plan to procure 1,500 megawatts of new coal-fired power, ruling that it was unlawful because of the potential impact on public health.
Plans for more electricity from the dirtiest fossil fuel in South Africa, which has the most carbon-intensive economy among the Group of 20 nations, violate the constitutional right to health, Judge C.J. van der Westhuizen wrote in a ruling released on Wednesday.