Pakistan informed the IMF that it wanted to replace the net metering policy with gross metering for rooftop solar panels aimed at discouraging their use, said the sources. Currently, the bidirectional meter calculates rooftop generation and the import of electricity from the national grid during night time. The Ministry of Energy viewed that due to less reliance on grid electricity, rooftop solar consumers were now slipping into the protected consumers’ category, paying very little for electricity. The lender also urged a review of the current captive power generation policy, in which industrialists get cheaper gas to produce in-house electricity. There is a possibility that captive gas may be discontinued from July to shift these industries to highly expensive grid electricity.

Source: The Express Tribune May 19, 2024 17:20 UTC