Beyond resistance? exploring dynamics of incumbency in South Africa's power sector reform

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dc.contributor.advisorDavies, Meganen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorMohlakoana, Nthabisengen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRichards, Nichola Deborah McCullochen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition.en_ZA
dc.date2023-02-24T10:30:10Z
dc.date2023-08-30T13:09:38Z
dc.date2023-03
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-24T10:30:10Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-31T09:18:41Z
dc.date.available2023-02-24T10:30:10Z
dc.date.available2023-08-31T09:18:41Z
dc.date.issued2023-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: This traditional academic thesis evaluates South Africa’s process of power sector reform and highlights the dynamics of incumbency throughout this process. The role of incumbents as significant actors in socio-technical energy systems is a growing focus in sustainability transitions literature. This can be attributed to dynamics in the global energy transition and the work of incumbents, either subverting, stalling, or accelerating transition processes. Incumbents are generally understood to delay and resist energy transitions, while defending socio-technical regimes, in which they have vested interests. The literature on power sector reform is a useful complement to understanding the configuration and transformation of socio-technical energy systems and energy transitions. This thesis is guided by the question, what insights about incumbency in South Africa’s socio-technical energy transition could be generated from an evaluation of power sector reform in the country? The research seeks to understand the role of incumbents in transition processes, with a focus on South Africa’s political economy of energy. The analysis of the country’s energy transition pays close attention to the role of Eskom the vertically integrated national electricity utility, often regarded as the incumbent blocking rapid transformation of the power sector. South Africa’s power sector provides a useful case study of incumbents’ interactions and role in energy transitions. On one hand, the country has a heavily coal reliant power system and an aging coal-fired fleet of power stations, and on the other hand, abundant renewable energy resources. This positions South Africa well to take advantage of the global energy transition, yet the transition remains slow and contested. The investigation into the role of the incumbent is thus situated in this transitional space between the potential to transitions and the slow contested nature of the transition. Power sector reform processes are mapped between 1998 and 2022, using grey literature from Eskom and three legislatively relevant government institutions. This is done by mapping the four dimensions of reforms, regulation, unbundling and corporatisation, private sector participation and competition. This process is then evaluated, and dynamics of incumbency are highlighted throughout. This research inquiry into South Africa’s power sector reform and role of incumbents is triangulated by interviews with energy sector experts, industry specialists, activists, and academics. The research in this thesis demonstrates that Eskom’s incumbent positionality has shifted throughout the process of power sector reform, resulting in a diffusion of incumbent characteristics throughout the electricity supply industry. While Eskom has resisted aspects of the energy transition, the utility is not alone in this, South Africa’s power sector is mired in a web of incumbency that is broader than the state-owned utility. This examination of incumbency in South Africa’s power sector indicated that in some instances Eskom has moved beyond resistance and showed support for aspects of reforms. Finally, the experience of power sector reforms in the global south with a focus on an incumbent utility, highlights the importance of the political economy and context. Thus, to support a sustainability orientated transition, policy makers, activists, academics and civil society need to consider the dynamics of incumbency, beyond Eskom in South Africa’s power sector, and wider energy transition.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis evalueer Suid-Afrika se proses van hervorming van die krag sektor terwyl dit die dinamiek van deurlopende verpligting gedurende hierdie proses beklemtoon. Die rol van die ampsbekleers as betekenisvolle akteurs in sosio-tegniese energiestelsels is ‘n groeiende fokus in volhoubare oorgangsliteratuur. Dit kan toegeskryf word aan dinamiek in die globale oorgang van energie en die werk van ampsbekleers, hetsy deur die omverwerping, vertraging, of bespoediging van oorgangsprosesse. Dit word oor die algemeen ervaar dat betrokke amptenare veranderende energie prosesse vertraag of teenstaan, terwyl hulle die sosio-tegniese regeringstelsels waarin hulle bestaande belange het verdedig en hoofsaaklik in die globale noorde gevestig is. Die beskikbare literatuur oor energiesektor hervorming is ‘n handige byvoeging tot die konfigurasie en transformasie van sosio-tegniese energiestelsels en energie veranderinge. Hierdie navorsing word gelei deur die vraag, watter insig omtrent verpligtinge in Suid-Afrika se sosio-tegniese energie verandering kan verkry word uit die evaluering van die hervorming van die energiesektor? Deur hierdie navorsing word gepoog om die vraag, watter begrippe kan gevorm word om die rol van ampsbekleers in die transformasieprosesse te verstaan met ‘n fokus op Suid-Afrika se politiese ekonomie van energie. Die analise van die land se energie hervorming let noukeurig op die rol van Eskom as vertikaal geintegreerde nasionale elektrisiteits nutmaatskappy, wat dikwels gesien word as ampsbekleers wat vinnige transformasie van die energie sektor verhoed. Suid-Afrika se energie sektor voorsien waardevolle studiemateriaal. Die land beskik enersyds oor ‘n krag netwerk wat hewig afhanklik is van steenkool met ‘n verouderende steenkool aangedrewe vloot van kragstasies en andersyds, oorvloedige hernubare energiebronne. Dit posisioneer Suid-Afrika goed om voordeel te trek uit die globale energie hervorming, alhoewel dit stadig is en teestand ervaar. Die ondersoek na die rol van die ampsbekleer is dus te midde van hierdie tussentydsvak. Energiesektor hervormingsprosesse is aangeteken tussen 1998 en 2022 met die gebruik van grys literatuur van Eskom sowel as drie wetgewend-relatiewe staatsinstellings. Dit word gedoen deur die kartering van vier dimensies van verandering, naamlik regulasie, ontbondeling en inkorporering, privaat sektor deelname en kompetisie. Hierdie proses word dan geevalueer en die dinamiek van verpligting word deurgaans beklemtoon. Hierdie empiriese navorsing is trianguleer met onderhoude wat met energiesektor spesialiste, industrie vakkundiges, aktiviste en akademici gevoer is. Die navorsing in hierdie tesis demonstreer dat Eskom se ampsbekleer posisionering gedurende die proses van energiesektor hervorming verskuif het, met die gevolglike diffusie van karaktertrekke van die ampsbekleers dwarsdeur die industrie van elektrisiteits voorsiening. Terwyl Eskom aspekte van energie hervorming teegestaan het, is die nutsmaatskappy nie die enigste nie. Suid-Afrika se energiesektor is besoedel en vasgevang in ‘n web van verpligtinge, breer as die staatseiendom. Hierdie breer begrip van verpligting in Suid-Afrika se energiesektor het aangedui dat Eskom in sommige instansies verby teestand beweeg het en aspekte van hervorming ondersteun het. Ten slotte het die ondervinding van energiesektor hervorming in die globale suide met ‘n fokus op ‘n ampsbekleer nutsmaatskappy, die belangrikheid van die politieke ekonomie en konteks beklemtoon. Dus, om volhoubaar georientreerde hervorming te ondersteun, is dit noodsaaklik dat beleidsmakers, aktiviste, akademici en die burgerlike samelewing, die breer dinamiek van verpligting in Suid-Afrika se energiesektor en breer verandering moet verstaan en oorweeg.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.embargo.terms2024-04-30
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.format.extentxii, 160 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128428
dc.languageen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subject.lcshEnergy policy -- Environmental aspects -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshRenewable energy sources -- Economic aspects -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshRenewable energy sources -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleBeyond resistance? exploring dynamics of incumbency in South Africa's power sector reformen_ZA
dc.typeThesis
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