Minister Leghari Announces New Solar Net Metering Policy Is Ready

ISLAMABAD (RNN TV) — Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari announced on Thursday that the government has finalized a revised net metering policy aimed at boosting solar energy adoption across Pakistan. The updated policy is set to be released within a month, pending approval from the federal cabinet.

Speaking at a workshop in Islamabad, Minister Leghari explained that the policy revision aligns with the federal cabinet’s directives to promote renewable energy and help lower electricity costs for consumers.

He acknowledged that recent increases in monthly fuel adjustments were due to the high costs of fuel-based electricity generation, driven by low water availability affecting hydropower. However, he emphasized that overall electricity prices in the country have been trending downward.

“The government has launched multiple initiatives over the past year to ease the financial burden on consumers, including significant reforms in the power sector,” Leghari said. He highlighted a notable shift towards solar energy in both the agricultural and industrial sectors, noting that industrial electricity tariffs were reduced by 30 percent within the last year alone.

Leghari stressed the importance of transitioning to alternative energy sources to achieve long-term reductions in power tariffs, moving away from expensive imported fuels. “A revolution in alternative energy has begun in Pakistan,” he said, adding that the country now has a surplus generation capacity of approximately 7,000 megawatts due to declining electricity demand over the past two to three years.

This surplus capacity, according to the minister, allows the government to push forward plans for a competitive electricity market. He also revealed that nearly 3,000 MW of generation capacity running on furnace oil has been phased out to reduce environmental impact and lessen reliance on imported fuels.

The minister assured that the government is working to prevent inefficiencies such as transmission losses from becoming a financial burden on consumers. “Power plants based on imported fuel are being phased out not only for economic reasons but also to protect the environment,” he added.

The forthcoming revised net metering policy is expected to outline new regulations for distributed solar generation and its integration into the national grid, encouraging greater adoption of solar energy by households and businesses. However, the detailed provisions of the policy are yet to be made public.

Source: Web Desk