SDPI’s conference: pace of solar adoption brings questions into sharper focus

At SDPI’s 29th Sustainable Development Conference, Pakistani officials and industry participants discussed how the rapid growth of solar power is outpacing the policies, financing and infrastructure needed for a dependable energy transition. Government energy adviser Lt Gen Muhammad Zafar Iqbal (retd) said around 7,000 megawatts of solar capacity had been installed in the last five years, mainly through consumer investment. He also described plans for 11,000 megawatts of hydropower during the coming decade and a 30 percent electric-vehicle share of new vehicle sales by 2030.

Participants identified unpredictable rules, limited electricity storage, grid constraints and uneven federal-provincial coordination as barriers to sustained investment and reliable industrial power. Energy consultant Ateeque Rehman said high upfront costs and scarce affordable finance were holding back cleaner technology projects, and called for public-private partnerships and repayment structures tied to energy savings. Speakers also urged climate-risk checks for renewable facilities, better organised biomass sourcing and community involvement in rural mini-grids. Business Recorder reported that the discussion stressed strengthening existing supply chains and ensuring the transition benefits farmers and underserved communities.