A COUNTRY that doesn`t plan ahead always finds itself in trouble. In Pakistan`s case, we`ve made multiple plans for enhancing the share of solar and wind power in our energy mix to reduce reliance on expensive, imported fossil fuels and produce affordable electricity, and yet we never follow through. Why? Because our bureaucrats won`t let politicians execute a scheme where they can`t make money. Some federal ministers and parliamentarians have brought to the notice of the prime minister that 13 private, Nepra-approved solar and wind power projects with a combined capacity to produce 680MW of cheap and clean electricity remain unimplemented due to bureaucratic impediments. All the required approvals had been given for these projects including tariffs in a range of 3.2 to 3.7 cents per kWh in 2020, the lowest tariff in the history of Pakistan but they were not allowed to proceed due to changing policies. The projects, planned for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan at a cost of $600m, have the potential to significantly cut the price of power generation.

A summary was shared with the Prime Minister`s Office in October to propose a way forward for early decision on them but `no comments and feedback have been forthcoming`. The situation has forced Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir to `advise` the premier to not allow his `vision of collaboration with Turkey, China and other countries for investments in renewable energy projects to fall victim to the irresolute, myopic and indolent bureaucracy`. What else can a minister do? Pakistan has massive potential for renewable energy, yet it forms only a fraction of the energy mix. Many international energy research institutions have advised Pakistan in recent years to pursue a more ambitious plan to tap its vast variable renewable energy potential. A German study says Pakistan has the potential to generate at least 33,000MW of solar and wind power in the next 10 years. That will result in generation cost savings of 15pc and emission savings of almost 50pc not a bad deal for a country grappling with the twin challenges of high generation cost and climate change impacts on its flagging economy. With the world moving swiftly to cleaner, renewable energy sources China and India plan to add 500,000MW of renewable energy by 2030 our power bureaucracy is focused on expensive, fossil fuel-based dirty energy schemes for kickbacks.