ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government on Thursday claimed to have added 39 power projects with a total generation capacity of 12,230 megawatts during its five-year term ending on May 31, but fell short of telling that the majority of these schemes are yet to start commercial operations.

The Pakistan Economic Survey 2017-18 boasts that the government has also reduced the country’s dependence on expensive oil by improving the energy mix through the addition of coal and (imported) gas-fired generation, and encouraging investment in renewable energy. But it admits that the share of hydropower in overall energy mix has decreased in the last five years. The survey blamed lower water availability for the reduction in the share of hydropower in the energy mix but fails to mention very low investments made in this sector.

Published in Dawn, 27th April, 2018

https://www.dawn.com/news/1404160/a-rose-tinted-energy-outlook