The Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI) is a collaborative global initiative of civil society, policymakers, regulators, and other electricity sector actors to promote the open, transparent, and accountable decision-making processes that are a necessary part of a socially and environmentally sustainable energy future. The EGI is led jointly by the World Resources Institute and Prayas Energy Group (India). The National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (India) was centrally involved in development of the EGI Toolkit, a set of detailed assessment indicators, and implementation of the pilot phase of assessments in a number of South and South-East Asian countries. EGI is a partnership for sustainable development registered with the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

Policymakers, regulators and citizens all over the world are grappling with the challenges of providing access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity, and addressing major environmental challenges including climate change. Improved transparency and public participation in the development of policy and regulation can help manage trade-offs between environmental, social, and financial considerations, and also identify points of convergence of these public interests. Building on global experiences, EGI has initiated a new effort to improve governance of electricity in South Africa (EGI-SA) by analysing government and regulatory capacity to create the right conditions for the promotion of social equity, energy efficiency and renewable energy, in line with the requirements of sustainable development and public interests.

During 2008-9, EGI-SA undertook a systematic assessment of decision-making processes in the electricity sector in South Africa. A research consortium was established, consisting of a partnership of civil society groups, including the Energy Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, Sustainable Energy Africa, Earthlife Africa, WWF-SA, the Green Connection, the International Labour Resource and Information Group (ILRIG), and independent researchers, and co-ordinated by Idasa’s Economic Governance Programme. The assessment report is due to be published during October 2009.


Benchmarking best practice and promoting accountability in the electricity sector: A comparison of processes for incorporating public comment into electricity governance
By Liz McDaid,
Green Connection

Two conflicting policies for renewable energy in South Africa raise questions about planning and governance for the renewable energy market
By Saliem Fakir,
Head of Living Planet Unit, WWF-South Africa

The governance of power: Shedding a light on the electricity sector in South Africa
Published by Idasa

Appendix II: Baseline, policy process and regulatory process indicators