The article investigates how to make coal mining in South Africa more energy-efficient. The researchers wanted to see if a national energy efficiency plan was working. They looked at how much energy coal mines used in a specific region. Most mines actually used more energy over time, mainly in certain processes like beneficiation. Simply cutting production doesn't make mining more energy-efficient. A better way to measure efficiency is by looking at how much energy is used per amount of coal produced. The national plan didn't seem to help much in improving energy efficiency. To do better, the experts suggest monitoring energy use in different parts of the mining process and giving rewards for using less energy.