The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday launched two new activities to minimise unscheduled loadshedding for Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and customers, while enable better planning around shortages.
Currently, unplanned loadshedding is one of the leading irritants in the country's power crisis, impacting two percent of Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and an estimated 400,000 jobs in 2012. Loadshedding is a consequence of the imbalance between power generation and a growing demand. Unscheduled loadshedding, however, is the result of a lack of information and can be reduced by improving real-time knowledge of the loads of individual power distribution companies, according to press release issued here on Thursday.
"The US government is committed to assisting the Government of Pakistan in improving the power distribution system in the country. We work with public sector power sector distribution companies to improve their operations, reduce losses and ultimately to make sure that consumers have a more reliable supply of power," said US Consul General Robert Reed.
"The Load Data Improvement (LDI) and telemetry activities are two of several efforts that USAID is undertaking in co-operation with Pesco to better manage power delivery to the people and businesses of Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," said Ms Melissa Knight, USAID Energy Office Director during her visit. This assistance to Pesco is one example of US support to increase the power production and improve its delivery to consumers.
The US is funding completion of Satpara and Gomal Zam dams, supporting renovation of Tarbela, Guddu, Jamshoro, and Muzaffargharh power plants, and working with all nine government-owned power distribution companies to modernise their operations. Together, these efforts have already added almost 900 megawatts to the national power grid, an amount sufficient to provide electricity for 14 million homes and businesses.