Avoiding ecosystem and social impacts of hydropower, wind, and solar in Southern Africa's low-carbon electricity system.

ABSTRACT: The scale at which low-carbon electricity will need to be deployed to meet economic growth, electrification, and climate goals in Africa is unprecedented, yet the potential land use and freshwater impacts from this massive build-out of energy infrastructure is poorly understood. In this study, we characterize low-impact onshore wind, solar photovoltaics, and hydropower potential in Southern Africa and identify the cost-optimal mix of electricity generation technologies under different sets of socio-environmental land use and freshwater constraints and carbon targets. We find substantial wind and solar potential after applying land use protections, but about 40% of planned or proposed hydropower projects face socio-environmental conflicts. Applying land and freshwater protections results in

SUBMITTER: Wu GC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10844333 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature