THE Asian Development Bank has approved a $850m tranche financing facility to develop Pakistan’s power transmission system, improve the quality of the existing energy infrastructure and meet the increasing demand for electricity.

The allocation of such financing facilities in Pakistan still needs to be diversified to include solar and other renewable power technologies. Infrastructure development shall further support more promising models like net-metering of solar energy.

Net-metering can supplement the grid with additional power that shall help reduce the gap between the electricity supply and demand, the cost of energy for consumers, while also decreasing the load on transmission and the distribution system. This way, all available rooftops, premises and open spaces can be converted into solar generators benefitting both owners and local power utilities.

I urge relevant authorities to invest a sizable portion of the ADB’s multi-tranche financing to invest in renewables and to promote more efficient distribution models like net-metering.

Muhammad Sagheer

Islamabad

Published in Dawn September 25th, 2016