Two inquiries were conducted after the 9th January’s country-wide blackout: one by a 3-member committee that was ordered by NEPRA; and the other by the NTDC. NEPRA’s inquiry report is available in the public domain on its web site. The inquiry conducted by the NTDC on the above incident is not available in public domain […]
Blacking out in Pakistan —I
The country-wide power blackout that had struck Pakistan on the night of 9th January may just be the proverbial “tip of the iceberg” and there may be many more waiting to happen. We can fear this because the power grid in Pakistan is currently under tremendous stress that will only grow in the future. Inadequate […]
Riding the VRE bandwagon, without seatbelts
Pakistan’s decision makers seem to have just jumped into the VRE bandwagon, mostly in their enthusiasm to go along with the tide, without realizing that the road ahead will be not only bumpy and full of potholes but will also test to limits the competence and skills of the drivers leading the journey. Passengers (aka […]
Going in circles on the power sector circular-debt
Our government seems to be going in circles on the on the issue of circular-debt in the power sector as every few months it raises consumer tariffs (the latest being another 1.95 rupees per unit) hoping to cover the costs of electricity supply in the country, only to find consumers compelled to squeeze their demand […]
The neglected institutional aspect of energy policies in Pakistan
Starting with the 1994 private power policy, Pakistan has seen a streak of energy policies, introduced at regular intervals by successive governments in their bid to fuel the growing economy and serve the demands of the burgeoning population. Most of these policies, however, failed to deliver their intended outcomes during implementation. Often, these policies have […]
Fixing the power sector
Whilearguing in favor of a vision-led strategy to manage our power sector against the current issue-driven approachesand to underscore the criticality in this regard ofa flexible, agile, and responsive institutional structure, this writer had observed that “we cannot expect space-age performance from a stone-age institutional setup.” (Fixing the power sector: how not to do it […]
An enlightening blackout
While the nation had to brave a lengthy and widespread power blackout on the night of 9th January, the darkness was, in a queer way, enlightening. It brought into light the hidden weaknesses in parts of our power grid and lack of adequate capability and preparation to quickly isolate the troubled part, prevent the fault […]
Fixing the power sector: how not to do it right
Even though our government doesn’t seem to be unaware of the importance of the power sector’s health, it’s still not willing to accord it the seriousness required to transform it into a viable contributor to our economy and people. Ironically, the government’shandling of the power sector issues makes one wonder if it’s not out to […]
Securing our power grid against cyber threats
“Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with your enemy.” (Sun Tzu in his timeless classic “The Art of War”) The power grid in Pakistan, like everywhere else in the world, is becoming increasingly vulnerable tocyber threats. Such threats will only grow in the future, both in frequency and intensity, as information and communications […]
Energy security: A critical link to our national security
“Those who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.” (Benjamin Franklin) The geopolitical landscape, especially in the Asian continent, is shifting rapidly and seeing unprecedented realignments and regroupings among countries previously thought unthinkable. Some countries are using their fuel exports as a leverage to influence some others to […]