There is a need to implement the 18th Constitutional Amendment for harnessing renewable energy resources to meet growing energy needs in Pakistan without aggravating climate change concerns, experts suggested. They were speaking at the "National Renewable Energy Dialogue" organized by the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) in collaboration with Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS) here on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler said that Pakistan needs to create more economic zones but it must take into account environmental factors, adding that clean energy has to be at center of the agenda for sustainable development. He also added that a people-centric approach should be developed to electrify communities not having access to electricity through renewable energy technology.
HBS Acting Head of Asia Department Jost Pachely discussed German Energy Transition (Energiewende) highlighting how Germany is moving away from coal-fired and nuclear power plants to renewable energy. WWEA Policy Analyst Zeeshan Ashfaq presented the preliminary findings of the policy paper titled "Governance of Renewable Energy in Pakistan: 18th Constitutional Amendment and Looking Ahead". He said that the 18th amendment has created various issues pertaining to the roles and responsibilities of federal and provincial authorities.
He suggested that Pakistan needs an integrated energy plan by taking on board both federal and provincial entities. WWEA Vice-President Air Marshal Shahid Hamid (retd) urged for having a uniform policy at the national and provincial levels to scale up renewable energy deployment in the country. He also announced that 17th World Wind Energy Conference will be held in Pakistan in April next year wherein wind energy experts from across the globe would participate.
Alternative Energy Development Board Director Policy Syed Aqeel Jafri said that the Board has been providing one-window facilities for promotion of renewable energy in Pakistan, adding more efforts will be made to add wind and solar energy to the national grid through a competitive regime. While chairing the session on "Renewable Energy in Provinces - Post 18th Amendment," CEO Renewable Resources (Pvt) Ltd, Dr Irfan Afzal Mirza said that provincial energy departments are struggling to develop renewable energy at large scale as the electricity sector had remained under the federal government before the amendment. Representatives from four provincial energy departments said that provinces have huge potential of renewable energy but there is need to devise coordinated mechanism between federal and provincial governments to tap that potential.