From Promise to Paradox: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Limits of South Africa’s Green Energy Transition

Stephanie Borchardt is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stellenbosch University. She is affiliated with the South African Research Chair in the Sociology of Land, Environment, and Sustainable Development. Her research focuses on energy justice and green energy transitions in South Africa, especially in the semi-arid Karoo region. She examines how national renewable energy investments can benefit local communities and reduce household energy poverty.
Dr Borchardt recently contributed a chapter to the Strategic Environmental Assessment for green hydrogen development in South Africa.  She also teaches courses in social research methods and environmental sociology. In addition, she serves on the scientific committee of the Arid Zone Ecology Forum (AZEF),  a non-profit dedicated to identifying challenges and developing solutions for the arid and semi-arid regions of Southern Africa.