TRUE EASE IN WRITING COMES FROM ART, NOT CHANCE.

AS THOSE MOVE EASIEST WHO

HAVE LEARNED TO DANCE.
ALEXANDER POPE

ESSAY AND PRECIS WITH CSP WAQAR HASSAN

03174315156
WRITTEN BY: CSP WAQAR HASSAN
DO NOT COPY OR REPRODUCE

ESSAY: ENERGY CRISIS IN PAKISTAN – CAUSES, IMPACTS AND WAY FORWARD.

INTRODUCTION :

THESIS STATEMENT:

Pakistan has been facing the dilemma of energy crisis for the past many years owing to
the short-term policies implemented by the subsequent governments but, today, we need
a complete revamp of the energy sector to overcome this crisis which is creating hiccups in
the economic and social progress of our country.

NECK PART :

DEFINITION:

HISTORY AND CURRENT SCENARIO:

EMERGING in 2006-07, Pakistan’s energy crisis still haunts the country — be it lengthy load-
shedding, the growing demand-supply gap, energy insecurity, increasing reliance on imports
and circular debt. In recent years, it has become more complicated both in dimension and
intensity. The energy crisis did not take us by surprise; from a surplus of power in 2001 to a
deficiency in 2006, the period was long enough for us to have taken action. The crisis has been
cultivated by years of negligence and wrongdoing. Senior Wapda officials were raising the
alarm as early as 2003, only to be snubbed by key decision-makers. The Nandipur power
project is a classic example, speaking volumes for how successive regimes since 2007, when
the project that was set to become operational, have jeopardised it.Despite broad access to
electricity (99 percent of the population had access to electricity in 2016, compared to 59
percent of the population in 1990), the country experiences massive blackouts (load shedding
of 6-8 hours a day for households and 1-2 hours a day for the industry). According to a survey
by the World Bank, 66.7 percent of the businesses in Pakistan cite electricity shortages as a
more significant obstacle to business than corruption (11.7 percent) and crime/terrorism (5.5
percent). In light of these factors, there is an urgent need to innovate in the energy sector of
the country.Despite the potential, Pakistan remains “powerless” when it comes to adequately
powering lights for its homes, machinery for its factories, and stoves for its kitchens. Data
from many sources, including the Ministry of Water & Power and Pakistan Economic Surveys,
over the past five years show that Pakistan has been facing an average shortfall of between
4,000-5,000 MW.The prevailing energy crisis is costly to the economy in the form of huge
subsidies and high circular debts.

BODY-PARAGRAPHS :

TOPIC STATEMENT 01.

Poor governance has become a hallmark of the energy sector over the years
bringing the downfall of the country in the economic and social sectors.

TOPIC STATEMENT 02.

This acute energy crisis is a result of flawed energy policies pursued for decades, the
high cost of generation, and aging and inadequate transmission, among other
causes.

TOPIC STATEMENT 03.

In addition to transmission losses and distribution thefts, an entrenched

bureaucratic culture marked by poor organization, planning, and project
implementation among Pakistan’s power operating companies only compounds the
problem.
TOPIC STATEMENT 04.
Power shortages are also rooted in Pakistan’s irrational and
increasingly unaffordable energy mix: 64 percent thermal, 30
hydropower, and 6 percent nuclear.

A high reliance on thermal power plants (which in turn are run by

natural gas, oil, or coal) and hydropower seldom assure a continuous
flow of power. Heavy dependence on oil-based energy makes power
high-priced.

TOPIC STATEMENT 05.

Politicians and policymakers in Pakistan have made little real attempt to diversify
the nation’s energy supplies and to shift dependence form expensive and imported
oil toward potentially cheaper and cleaner resources available in the country.

TOPIC STATEMENT 06.

Pakistan’s stubborn reliance on fossil fuels continued even after the oil shocks of
1973 and 1979 and the impact of this reliance can be witnessed from the current
crisis of energy in the country.
Pakistan’s dependence on oil imports is 24 percent, compared to India’s 18
percent and Bangladesh’s 21 percent).

TOPIC STATEMENT 07.

The concept of energy efficiency has largely remained absent from the
energy policies of our country which has also contributed in energy crisis.

Energy efficiency (doing more tasks with less energy, as defined by Berkeley physicist
Richard Muller) is “cheaper than cheap.” It doesn’t cost much. A McKinsey & Company
reportfinds that savings made from energy conservation and efficiency would be
enough to pay for projects such as expanding wind from energy production and
installing solar panels.In general, discussions about energy efficiency often fixate on
its ability to lower energy consumption, reduce expenditures, and curtail greenhouse
gas emissions. It is worth exploring if this mantra would work in developing Pakistan.
 TOPIC STATEMENT 08.

Technological penury is one prime reason why Pakistan has not been able
to capitalize on its high abundance of renewable energy potential.

The lack of technological know how also helps to explain why non-hydro
renewables currently account for less than 4 percent (roughly 900 MW) of
total installed electricity capacity against the medium-term plan of having a
minimum capacity of 9,700 MW by 2030. Given this, the role of technology
transfer in developing renewables and adopting energy conservation is
worth exploring.

SUGGESTIONS – WAY FORWARD :

Fortunately, Pakistan has a high renewable energy potential, which has been elaborated
in many studies on Pakistan. A recent report published by USAID attests to Pakistan’s energy
potential, stating that it can potentially produce 100,000 MW from solar energy alone. One
solution to Pakistan’s energy crisis (and interrelated environmental deterioration) is to
provide incentives for the development of distributed energy resources, i.e., encourage a shift
toward renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and biogas. Fortunately, Pakistan is
endowed with renewable energy resources. It not only has potentially bountiful supplies of
solar energy but also could tap possible sources of wind power, especially along the coastal
areas of the Arabian Sea. The prospects for renewable energy in Pakistan are heartening.
Energy experts estimate that Pakistan has a total renewable energy potential of about 167.7
GW, more than enough to meet the nation’s total demand for electricity.Better late than
never, Pakistan has started to acknowledge its renewable energy potential as evidenced by
the construction of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, with a nameplate capacity of 1,000 MW. There
is a need for more additional steps beyond the Solar Park. In fact, all these steps should be
part of a multipronged “energy productivity” policy. By encouraging energy conservation
(efficiency), on the one hand, and facilitating a move toward clean renewables, on the other,
the productivity policy will not only enhance energy security but also improve the
environment.Moreover, a change in the energy efficiency paradigm is needed to better
promote energy efficiency in a way that links such efforts to improved living standards and
increased prosperity. A more inclusive alternative narrative such as energy productivity
should be advocated — that is, producing more goods and services with the same energy
(equivalently, “doing more with the same”). As opposed to the traditional energy efficiency
paradigm focusing solely on fewer inputs (“more with less”), energy productivity focuses on
generating more outputs with the same inputs.Beyond the reframing of energy efficiency as
a rhetorical concept, there is a need for developing a sound and thoughtful energy
productivity policy framework. Such a policy framework would inculcate renewable energy as
a significant aspect of energy productivity policy. In the process, it would ameliorate energy
security, address environmental degradation, stimulate economic growth, and, last but not
least, mitigate public worries.Aside from the distinct challenges of financing “sunk” and
“fixed” costs amid the historic debts and chronic losses, another significant constraint is the
lack of appropriate technology in the implementation of energy productivity policy. Pakistan
needs to stay abreast of high technology to harness its renewable energy resources and
materialize its energy efficiency goals.To sum it up, I promote an alternative approach of
energy productivity policy that not only redefines energy efficiency, but also includes it along
with an emphasis on renewable sources to address energy crises in Pakistan. Concerned
ministries would have to be cognizant of the conditions in the energy productivity policy that
would ameliorate power blackouts. For successful implementation of the policy, the
government would have to ensure that regulatory agencies coordinate their efforts with
power companies to improve energy distribution, generation, and
transmission. Undoubtedly, the government would show its firm
resolve in promoting energy productivity reforms and eliminating
constraints to effective energy productivity policy implementation.
Only then the nation will witness an “energized” homeland, healthy
environment, improved economy, and, ultimately a better quality of
life for all citizens.The entire energy sector, in terms of administration
and functions, needed to be overhauled; malpractices and
wrongdoings that caused the crisis to be corrected; and projects and
deals transparently handled. But the state of affairs shows that little
has changed; in fact, strong efforts are needed to ensure transparency
and merit. Moreover, reckless decision-making must be avoided. It is unfortunate that
powerful lobbies still appear to be dictating key energy decisions.

CONCLUSION :

THESIS STATEMENT:

Because of poor energy management, Pakistan’s energy resources have been used
inefficiently for decades ; as a result, the nation faces a serious energy crisis that
has often stymied manufacturing and the service sector and disrupted power
supplies in communities and households across the nation.

Food for thought:

In a developing country like Pakistan, a reliable, uninterrupted, and affordable

energy supply is a fundamental precondition for reducing poverty, encouraging
investment, and boosting economic growth.Our human resources are competent
enough to rise to the occasion. What is really missing is the combination of vision,
strategy and commitment on the part of policymakers.
Copyrights@cspwaqarhassan