A year ago, Daily Maverick declared wind as the early winner in Electricity Minister Ramokgopa's Integrated Resource Plan 2025. Now, a new leader has emerged - straight out of Gwede Mantashe's liquefied gas dreams.

What a difference a year makes. At Windaba 2025, Minister Ramokgopa spoke of electrons flowing from endless windmills. Fast-forward to the same event a year later, and that electricity will now come from gas molecules and battery chemicals first, and solar-powered sprites (wind is also solar-powered, btw) at a later date.

"We are announcing a determination of 4,600 megawatts of battery energy storage system, and we further are announcing 5,000 megawatts of gas to power," Ramokgopa explained.

"This represents a combined allocation of 9,600 megawatts. It will make no provision for new wind or solar capacity. The purpose is to address the immediate need for storage flexibility in agile dispatchable supply whilst reducing the risk that further variable generation will increase electricity curtailment."

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He had an answer to the logical next question already loaded in his cranium. "A generating plant without dependable fuel cannot provide dependable electricity ... the proposed gas allocation must therefore be implemented through a coordinated fuel infrastructure and generation programme," he said, filling in some of the blanks about the looming gas cliff and South Africa's lack of domestic production.

For context eThekwini renewable energy deal not green win it seems to be...