ISLAMABAD: Minister of Planning and Development Sartaj Aziz on Monday said that support for the development of integrated energy is one of the components of the ongoing Pak-US collaboration in energy sector.

He was speaking at the first meeting of the US-supported Steering Committee for Integrated Energy Planning for Pakistan.

The US Department of Energy (DoE), supported by USAID and the US State Department, is helping develop Pakistan’s integrated energy planning (IEP) as a roadmap to deliver more efficient and reliable energy for the people of Pakistan.

Over the past two years, DoE teams have collaborated with Pakistan’s government officials, academics, and private-sector stakeholders to develop the IEP process. The inauguration of the Steering Committee is a significant milestone in this effort.

Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador David Hale underscored the significance the US places on the IEP process and Pakistan’s use of a comprehensive energy plan to help resolve its energy problems. “As the government looks to improve efficiencies in the energy sector, this strategic plan will help support sound energy planning at the national level by Pakistani authorities,” he said.

To streamline the integrated energy planning in Pakistan, the government has also constituted a steering committee on integrated energy planning under the chairmanship of deputy chairman planning commission, while secretaries of planning, development and reform; power; petroleum and natural resources; and economic affair division are its members.

Mr Sartaj Aziz in his opening remarks stated that Pakistan’s current access to electricity and clean fuel gas is estimated at 62 per cent and 25 per cent respectively while energy efficiency ratio is not encouraging. The energy efficiency potential in power sector, only, is estimated at around 3,500MW.

To provide 100 per cent energy access to the growing population and meet the economic development targets, a long-term integrated energy planning approach, therefore, is required. This warrants an energy mix plan with both, provisions of energy supplies and role of efficiency in meeting the demand, he said.

The planning minister said that the country’s current primary energy supply mix reveals that it is heavily dependent on imported oil (43 per cent), followed by depleting local gas production (36 per cent) and hydel electricity (13 per cent).

He said that the situation aggravates further when we see that 63 per cent of power generation comes from costly thermal-based (oil and gas) power generation units, compelling the government to spend considerable amount on electricity subsidies which has also given birth to circular debt issue. This scenario needs to be reversed in a planned way.

Mr Aziz further revealed that USAID and the US Department of Energy support for revitalising Pakistan’s IEP is a welcome initiative. While developing Pakistan’s analytical expertise in integrated energy planning, he emphasised that it should add value to our existing strengths.

Furthermore, development of integrated energy planning should not be taken just as developing a computer-based model or tools but it should be viewed with a holistic approach.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017