- Feeders with losses of up to 20% are exempt from power outages, says Tarar.
- Smart meters will be installed on transformers to prevent energy theft.
- Minister highlights efforts towards renewable energy sources.
Amid increased scrutiny and ambiguity surrounding independent power producers (IPPs), the federal government has asserted that no power cuts are taking place in the country due to generation shortfall.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said distribution companies (Discos) are carrying out load management in areas based on losses in the feeders concerned.
The minister's comments come at a time when the current government is facing much scrutiny due to exorbitant electricity bills and power cuts lasting for hours across the country, especially during the summer this year.
Since coming to power in February this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has faced challenges on multiple fronts, the energy sector being one of them.
The center faced nationwide protests over prolonged power outages and sky-high bills throughout the summer.
The incumbent rulers have also faced criticism over the IPP issue with calls to review government agreements with them as the government has admitted that the country has the highest electricity tariffs in the region.
However, Power Minister Awais Leghari has said the nation will soon receive “good news” regarding IPPs.
Speaking in the lower house of parliament today, Tarar also stressed that feeders with losses of up to 20% are exempt from the supply cut.
The minister also said that in the first phase, smart meters will be installed in transformers to control electricity theft.
Informing the House that the Private Energy and Infrastructure Board was working on promoting and developing alternative and renewable energy technologies for power generation in line with the government's vision of diversifying power generation, the lawmaker stressed that as many as 58 alternative and renewable energy-based projects were operational and producing 3,837 megawatts of electricity on a cumulative basis.
Of these, wind projects accounted for 1,845 megawatts, he added.
Meanwhile, expressing his views in parliament, Oil Minister Musadik Malik lamented the depletion of indigenous gas reserves and said the current administration was allocating new blocks for oil and gas exploration along with importing liquefied natural gas (LNG).
