Going all out for renewable power generation on December 13, 2019Media is currently abuzz with reports of rapid inroads that renewable power generation technologies are making into the power sector of many countries around the world. Encouraged by these trends, our government is also set to increase their grid penetration from 4 percent at present to 20 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030. […]
Government’s insatiable appetite for electricity tariff increases on December 4, 2019Our government’s latest increase in electricity tariffs is problematic for a number of reasons. More than anything, it clearly demonstrates that it has a nowell-thought-out solution in hand to deal with power sector issues other than taking the path of least resistance-further squeezing those faithfully paying electricity consumers who are already struggling miserably under the […]
Greening the power grid in Pakistan, in top gear on November 25, 2019In his recent press briefing (November, 20), Minister for Energy, Omar Ayub Khan, reiterated his resolve to ramp up the renewable generating capacity in the national grid to 8,000 MW by 2025 and 20,000 MW by 2030 (in line with the government’s previously announced goal of 20 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent […]
Efforts to Green the Power Grid: Too Much, Too Soon on November 18, 2019At the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) this week, Special Assistant to our Prime Minister on Petroleum has revealed the government is eying to achieve 64 per cent green power in the country’s generation capacity-mix by 2025. While it’s a desirable aim, the government will need to tread carefully on this path […]
NTDC’s generation expansion plan for 2018-40: more definitive than indicative on November 8, 2019While the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2018-40, recently submitted by National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) to NEPRA for review and approval, is a carefully-crafted comprehensive plan, it misses on some features that an “indicative” plan was supposed to have. Since, preparing of this plan by NTDC is an annual regulatory requirement, some […]
Reaping the full benefits of distributed generation options on October 27, 2019In a recent article (Daily Times: October 12, 2019), we had argued that power sector planning in Pakistan needed turning on its head, from its top-down exclusive focus on supply expansions to seeking more granular, distributed, and demand-oriented solutions. We thought this necessary because some disruptive forces in the global energy markets had rendered the […]
Power sector planning in Pakistan needs turning on its head on October 12, 2019The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius had once observed, “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” As our present efforts to cure the power sector ills are not proving effective, we should heed the Chinese sage’s timeless advice and adjust our strategy. A critical component […]
Seeking electric power over treacherous terrains on October 1, 2019Two news reports have come out recently that apparently seem unrelated, but if looked slightly deeper, should make it evident that these are but two faces of the same coin. Both relate to Pakistan’s participation in cross-border cooperation in energy infrastructure projects with some other countries in the region, especially on building electric power interconnections. […]
Focused R&D: A key enabler to securing Pakistan’s energy future on September 23, 2019A fundamental transformation is underway in the world’s energy markets. This trend is reflected in the global Research and Development (R&D) spending as well, which has shifted now, from its primary focus on fossil-fuelled technologies in the 1980s and 1990s to low-carbon, renewable, and distributed technologies and more cost-effective demand-side options. A visionary and focused […]
In search of a perfect power generation mix on September 12, 2019Anyone who speaks of electricity in Pakistan these days does not forget to lament in the same breath how unaffordable it has lately become. Even the terms ‘capacity trap’ and spiraling ‘circular debt’ have now become topics of everyday household discussions. Most people expect electricity to be available when they turn on a switch and […]