Pretending battery adoption is not taking place is a fallacy that may cost Pakistan hundreds of billions in the future

According to a Dawn column, battery imports reached 4.59 gigawatt-hours in 2025, up from 1.43 gigawatt-hours a year earlier, with a value of $36 million. The writer links this early uptake to the solar boom and notes that worldwide battery costs dropped to $105 per kWh in 2026 from $137 in 2021. Falling prices could, the writer argues, set off a self-reinforcing cycle of demand, as seen with solar panels.

The column proposes virtual power plants, which pool thousands of home and small business batteries so an operator can dispatch them together. Peak grid demand has been recorded between 7pm and 11pm for 26 straight months without exception. Within that window, the last unit supplied costs roughly Rs10 to Rs40 per kWh depending on the month, averaging about Rs18, and the writer contends that existing tariffs and planning do not account for that value.

The column says this mechanism has a ceiling, with price-suppression value levelling off once installed capacity passes roughly five to six GW, while Pakistan's battery fleet could exceed 8GW. The writer argues that a buyback framework paying households a fair price tied to marginal rates is needed, and that Discos should start pilots in battery-dense areas. The column also cites roughly $700m in RLNG imports avoided over six months through distributed solar.