GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS

What is #PowerTracker?

#PowerTracker is a resource that provides easy access to data on renewable energy projects and the decommissioning of coal-powered plants in South Africa. The first iteration of this mapping tool tracks projects based in Mpumalanga, the country’s energy capital. 

Developed by journalists for journalists, it maps information on the carbon footprint, impact, cost, spending and repurposing initiatives. The platform also hosts a growing dossier of investigative reporting that either uses the map’s data, or is otherwise related to renewable energy. 

Why #PowerTracker? Why now?

The world is switching to less polluting, renewable power sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydropower, and billions are being pledged to build renewable energy resources. #PowerTracker investigates where this investment in renewable energy ends up, and how it is being used. 

One of the biggest challenges in reporting the renewable energy revolution is following the huge amounts of money pledged. Our #PowerTracker project helps journalists and other users to drill down into the granular details of renewable energy projects. Until now, there has been no single place to access this information easily. 

What does #PowerTracker do?

The #PowerTracker map is populated with icons containing information about renewable energy projects and coal-powered plants – as per the category selector.

The default display on the map is ‘All categories’. If you only want information about one category (for example, ‘Renewables’), click on the category selector in the top left of the map. 

Hover your cursor over an icon and a text box will pop up, providing detailed information about the type, capacity, carbon footprint, mitigation value, cost, spending and impact of projects. 

The tool includes a search function at the top left to help users filter information and find topics of interest. If you want to learn about a specific project, for instance, simply type the name of that project in the search box and you’ll get results that are relevant to that word. 

You can use the alert system on the map (Click to get Alerts) to subscribe to receive updates on either an area or a specific project. Each time the data is updated, you will receive an email with this information. 

How can journalists use the tool?

Journalists can use #PowerTracker to track specific data, patterns or trends for use in their investigations. At the click of a button, #PowerTracker can show you where renewable energy initiatives are concentrated, for instance, and whether this is being added to the national grid. 

What is the most popular type of energy resource? Solar, wind or biomass? What impacts this? Is it based on the resources already available, or current policy and legislation? What will the different coal-powered plants be used for, once they are shut down? 

Journalists can use the data to identify topics on which to build new stories, through government documents, company reports, plans, studies and external research. If you would like us to share the raw data with you, please see Get the Data, or contact us at [email protected]. 

You can also find related data on two of our other mapping tools: #ClimaTracker and #MineAlert. The first is a multi-faceted tool that makes climate-related data more easily accessible by demonstrating rising temperatures, and the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security. The second is a platform with multiple functions, allowing you to access, track and share information and documents on mining and water applications and licences. 

Can journalists add data to #PowerTracker?

Yes. journalists are encouraged to share data via the tool whenever they come across it. If you know of renewable energy projects that are not on #PowerTracker, please contact us here. Contributing to the consolidated database will help you keep track of information, for research and story purposes.

Can journalists also add stories?

Yes. The goal of all our tools is to build on our dossier of stories based on their data. The stories produced through the help of #PowerTracker data are featured on our investigations page, on the Oxpeckers site, and by partner media outlets. 

Share story ideas with us here. And if you use #PowerTracker data in your investigations, please let us know so we can help share your stories. Your feedback will assist in refining #PowerTracker for use by other journalists.