ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch pilot projects to shift loss-making electricity feeders in remote regions to solar power as part of broader power sector reforms aimed at reducing losses and ensuring uninterrupted supply, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Friday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the initiative during a meeting on power sector reforms, directing authorities to immediately begin pilot solarization projects on high-loss feeders operated by Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan’s power sector has been a major fiscal burden for years, with distribution companies suffering from electricity theft, poor recovery and technical losses, particularly in remote and sparsely populated areas. PESCO and QESCO are among the worst-performing utilities, contributing significantly to the country’s circular debt, a key concern for international lenders, including the International Monetary Fund.
“High-loss electricity feeders should be shifted to solar power with the cooperation of local communities and provincial governments,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement, quoting Sharif. “This step will reduce losses on loss-making feeders and ensure continuous electricity supply in these areas.”
Officials said the plan envisions creating low-cost, environmentally friendly solar microgrids, with local communities, provincial authorities and the federal government acting as joint partners. The model is expected to improve service delivery while lowering operating costs for distribution companies.
Sharif directed that consultations with elected representatives and community participation be ensured to improve the sustainability of the pilot projects, and ordered that work begin immediately in both provinces.
The government believes solarizing high-loss feeders will not only provide reliable electricity to underserved regions but also reduce future financial losses for power distribution companies, easing pressure on public finances.
The solarization initiative aligns with Pakistan’s wider push to reform its power sector, expand renewable energy and decentralize electricity supply under IMF-backed economic reforms and climate adaptation efforts.
