Blog

Pakistan Is need to expand wind corridor to counter electricity shortfall measures

Pakistan has tremendous potential to generate solar and wind power, according to a World Bank study. For example, the utilisation of just 0.071pc of the country’s area for solar power generation would meet our current electricity demand. Likewise, wind is also an abundant resource. Pakistan has several well-known wind corridors. Yet the share of solar and wind power in its energy mix remains far below potential, in spite of the multiple benefits the economy could accrue. Instead, lower-than-required investment in renewable wind and solar power, due to policy inconsistencies and policymakers’ bias towards fossil fuels, means that the incremental energy demand in the last two decades has mostly been met with expensive imports. No wonder the share of imported fuels in the energy mix has swelled from 29pc in 2006 to 49pc in 2021, making electricity unaffordable for residential and industrial consumers, and leading to the accumulation of an unsustainable, massive power sector debt of close to Rs3tr. The elimination of imported fuels from the national energy mix is not possible immediately. But investment in solar, wind and other renewable energy sources can help us achieve energy security and make power affordable for consumers.
shortfall Pakistan