After the addition of more than Rs.7 per unit in the electricity cost, the consumers of Pakistan will have to bear Rs.51 per unit of the electricity charges. The 38 percent inflation has been causing the increase in the prices of all consumable items and capital goods in the country.
Rather the governments burdened the people of Pakistan, doing very expensive and unjustified agreements with the Independent Power Plants (IPPs).
The study, conducted by the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED) and Renewables First, both Islamabad based research institutions highlighted the potential for substantial cost saving in the energy sector of Pakistan. Their study can save over $8 billion with improved production strategy.
Muhammad Badar Alam, the head of PRIED said that there were flaws in the government-prepared Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2022-31. ?He emphasized that IGCEP should be accompanied by a comprehensive plan for the expansion of the electricity transmission and dispatch system.
The lack of expansion has created problem to fully utilize the acquired electricity generation capacity, contributing to frequent power breakdowns across the country.
The researcher at Renewable First Ammar Qaseem said that IGCEPs forecast that the share of wind and solar power would be 30 percent of Pakistans energy mix by 2031 but the findings of the joint study of two independent institution show that this share would be 47 percent by 2031.
Ubaidur Rehman of Sustainable Development Policy Institute said that government should make long term planning to decarbonize the whole economy by the year 2050.
This will not only align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets but also unlock countrys full potential for emission reduction. It is required to readdress the energy plans of the governments of Pakistan for future needs. Along with increasing the sources of energy, it is also required to reduce the emission of Carbon dioxide.
Pakistan has the big potential of producing solar and wind power and the findings of the two independent research groups that the share of these two sources of energy can be 47percent by the year 2031 seems justified. ??