ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari on Tuesday defended recent amendments to solar net metering regulations in the Senate, stating that the revisions are regulatory in nature and designed to protect electricity consumers from additional financial strain.
He explained that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has primary responsibility for safeguarding consumer interests and preventing unjustified tariff hikes. Therefore, he stressed that NEPRA has not altered any clauses in existing seven-year net metering contracts, which remain fully protected.
Leghari said the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA) supports the government’s steps. Moreover, he projected that solar generation capacity would expand by 8,000 megawatts despite the updated regulations.
Addressing concerns over rising electricity prices, the minister attributed high tariffs during 2018–2022 to the sharp depreciation of the rupee. He added that the current administration is managing those inherited challenges.
Furthermore, he noted that the federal cabinet approved the net metering mechanism and highlighted that Pakistan has achieved a 55 percent clean energy share in its power mix. He also pointed to the near elimination of furnace oil from the national grid and said international institutions have endorsed the government’s power sector reforms.
Limited Net Metering Base, Major Financial Impact Avoided
Presenting data, Leghari stated that only 466,000 out of 34.5 million electricity consumers use net metering. He warned that allowing NEPRA to purchase electricity at Rs26 per unit would have imposed an annual burden of Rs550 billion on other consumers.
Additionally, he said renegotiated agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) reflect merit-based decisions taken without political pressure. He concluded that revising the regulations prevented a potential Rs5 per unit increase for ordinary consumers, while new solar users can recover investments within three years.
