ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari announced on Thursday that the government has finalized a revised net metering policy, which is set to be issued within a month following approval from the federal cabinet.
Speaking at a workshop in Islamabad, Leghari said the updated policy aligns with cabinet directives to promote a sustainable shift toward renewable energy and reduce overall electricity costs.
He acknowledged that recent monthly fuel adjustments had increased due to high-cost, fuel-based power generation—driven by poor water availability—but stressed that overall electricity prices in Pakistan have been on a downward trend.
“The government has introduced wide-ranging reforms over the past year to bring relief to consumers,” Leghari stated. “Electricity prices are steadily declining, and we’re seeing a significant transition to solar energy, particularly in the agriculture and industrial sectors.”
He highlighted that industrial power tariffs have been cut by 30% in the past year, and that long-term tariff reductions are being pursued through the adoption of alternative energy sources over expensive imported fuels.
“A revolution in renewable energy is underway,” he said. “We currently have a surplus of 7,000 megawatts due to declining electricity demand over the past few years, which has positioned us to move forward with creating a competitive electricity market.”
Leghari also disclosed that nearly 3,000 MW of furnace oil-based generation has been phased out to reduce environmental harm and cut reliance on imported fossil fuels.
He emphasized that the government is working to prevent transmission inefficiencies from becoming a cost burden on end-users. “We’re phasing out power plants running on imported fuel not only for economic reasons but also to safeguard the environment,” he added.
The forthcoming revised net metering policy, seen as crucial to expanding solar adoption among homes and businesses, is expected to introduce updated guidelines for distributed solar generation and its integration into the national grid. Specific details of the policy, however, have yet to be made public.
