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Pakistan’s net-metering program, which enables consumers to generate solar power and sell surplus electricity back to the national grid, has achieved a significant milestone. The number of applications pending for solar connections has now surpassed the nation’s total electricity generation capacity.
Currently, a total of 4,742 net metering requests are awaiting action from distribution companies (DISCOs), highlighting the increasing interest in solar energy options. Rising electricity prices have driven people to consider solar power, which reflects the current increase in applications.
Recent documents indicate that there are pending applications for solar net metering with a total capacity of 58,822 megawatts (MW), far surpassing the nation’s existing power generation capacity of 46,000 MW, as reported by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
IESCO currently holds the highest number of pending applications, totaling 1,363 requests that amount to a capacity of 12,276 MW. Among the significant backlogs are GEPCO, which has 117 requests totaling 6,282 MW, LESCO with 699 requests for 6,143 MW. Additionally, FESCO has 871 requests amounting to 12,399 MW, while K-Electric has 773 requests for 10,164 MW.
Delays are primarily attributed to the elevated buy-back rates associated with the net metering system. NEPRA has urged for a thoughtful reassessment of the tariff framework to tackle this concern. The authority has proposed that support for individual solar consumers should take precedence over large-scale solar projects to attain more favorable results.
Recent documents reveal that by June 30, 2024, more than 156,372 solar facilities, with a combined capacity of 2,200 MW, were established under the net metering program. The consumer base surged from 75,724 in FY2022-23 to an impressive 157,844 by the conclusion of FY2023-24, marking a significant doubling within a single year.
Update: However, according to the recent update on the NEPRA report, an earlier computation resulted in a 1000-fold misreport of the energy production capacity awaiting applications.
