ISLAMABAD: (Web Desk) – Federal Minister for Energy, Awais Leghari, defended recent amendments to solar net metering rules in the Senate on Tuesday, stressing that these changes are regulatory rather than policy-driven and aim to shield electricity consumers from added financial strain.
Leghari explained that the primary mandate of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is to protect consumer interests and prevent unwarranted electricity price hikes. He clarified that existing provisions in seven-year net metering agreements remain intact and unaffected by the new regulations.
The minister highlighted that the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA) has endorsed the government’s measures, and solar power generation is projected to rise by 8,000 MW despite the regulatory changes.
Addressing past high electricity costs, Leghari attributed them to the rupee’s sharp depreciation during the 2018-2022 government, which the current administration is actively addressing. He noted that the federal cabinet has approved the net metering mechanism and that Pakistan now sources 55 percent of its energy from clean resources.
Leghari also cited the near-elimination of furnace oil from the national grid and emphasized that international organizations have recognized the Shehbaz Sharif government’s power sector reforms.
On Independent Power Producers (IPPs), the minister stated that contracts have been reviewed and appointments made based on merit rather than political influence, with decisive action taken despite pressure from powerful circles.
Presenting data, he revealed that only 466,000 of Pakistan’s 34.5 million electricity consumers use net metering. He noted that if NEPRA purchased electricity at Rs26 per unit, ordinary consumers would face an annual burden of Rs550 billion.
Leghari reassured that new net metering consumers can recover their investments within three years under NEPRA-approved rates. He added that without the amendments, electricity prices for general consumers would have increased by Rs5 per unit.
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