PAKISTAN is facing a dilemma: how to meet its growing energy demand while reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and minimizing its environmental impact. The country has abundant potential for solar and wind power, but integrating these variable renewable energy sources into the grid poses technical and economic challenges. Is there a way to balance the benefits and costs of renewable energy in Pakistan’s power system?
This question is reminiscent of a famous thought experiment in quantum physics, known as Schrödinger’s cat. In this scenario, a cat is placed in a box with a vial of poison, which will be broken if a radioactive atom decays. The atom has a 50% chance of decaying in a given time interval, so the cat’s fate is uncertain until the box is opened. According to one interpretation of quantum mechanics, the cat is in a superposition of two states: alive and dead, until an observation is made. Similarly, Pakistan’s energy future is uncertain until a decision is made. The country can either continue to rely on fossil fuels, which are expensive, polluting and insecure, or it can embrace renewable energy, which is cheap, clean and abundant. However, renewable energy also has drawbacks, such as intermittency, variability and grid integration costs. Therefore, Pakistan’s energy system is in a superposition of two states: fossil-fuel dominated and renewable-energy dominated, until a policy is implemented.
A new World Bank study suggests that Pakistan should quickly implement a major scale-up of solar and wind generation, to achieve a share of at least 30% of total capacity by 2030. This would lower the cost of power, achieve greater energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study finds that following an optimal scenario with a large expansion of renewable energy would save Pakistan $5 billion over the next 20 years. The study also recommends that Pakistan should retire or reduce the use of many sources of fossil fuel generation, especially coal, which is not economical compared to renewable energy and has negative impacts on the environment and human health. The study argues that renewable energy is the future for Pakistan’s power system and that the country should act fast to reap the benefits.
However, achieving this goal requires significant investment in the transmission system, including modern automation and control systems and a reliable forecasting system. It also requires policy reforms and regulatory incentives to encourage private sector participation and competition in the renewable energy sector. Moreover, it requires public awareness and social acceptance of renewable energy as a viable and desirable option for Pakistan’s development. Pakistan has the opportunity to make a quantum leap for renewable energy, but it needs to open the box and observe its energy system. By doing so, it can collapse the superposition of states and choose the one that is best for its people and the planet. Schrödinger’s cat may be alive or dead, but Pakistan’s energy future is in its own hands.
But what does Schrödinger’s cat have to do with renewable energy? How can a thought experiment about quantum mechanics help us understand the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to a low-carbon economy? To answer these questions, we need to delve deeper into the implications and applications of Schrödinger’s cat. One of the main implications of Schrödinger’s cat is that reality is not fixed until it is observed. This means that there are multiple possible outcomes for any situation and we cannot predict with certainty which one will occur. This also means that our observations can affect the outcome, as we collapse the superposition into one definite state.
This idea has profound consequences for quantum physics, as it challenges some of our basic assumptions about causality, determinism and objectivity. It also leads to paradoxes such as Wigner’s friend⁴, which shows that different observers can disagree on whether or not a quantum system has collapsed. This raises questions about the role of consciousness and information in quantum theory. But how does this relate to renewable energy? Well, one way to think about it is that renewable energy sources are like Schrödinger’s cat: they are unpredictable and depend on external factors such as weather conditions. For example, solar panels produce more electricity when it is sunny than when it is cloudy; wind turbines generate more power when it is windy than when it is calm. These variations make it difficult to plan ahead and ensure a stable supply of electricity.
To overcome this challenge, we need to observe and measure the renewable energy sources constantly and accurately. We need to use smart meters, sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence to monitor the production and consumption of electricity in real time. We also need to use storage devices such as batteries or pumped hydro to store excess electricity when there is more supply than demand and release it when there is more demand than supply. We need to use smart grids, microgrids and distributed generation to connect and coordinate different sources and users of electricity. We need to use demand response, dynamic pricing and smart appliances to adjust the demand according to the supply.
By doing so, we can make renewable energy more reliable and efficient. We can also reduce the need for fossil fuel backup plants, which are costly and polluting. We can also increase the resilience and security of the power system, as we can avoid blackouts and cyberattacks. We can also empower consumers and communities, as they can produce and use their own electricity and sell or share the surplus with others. In other words, we can use observation and information to collapse the superposition of renewable energy sources into a definite state of optimal performance. We can use technology and innovation to make renewable energy more compatible with our needs and preferences. We can use policy and regulation to create a favourable environment for renewable energy development and deployment.
But there is another way to look at Schrödinger’s cat and renewable energy: they are both sources of creativity and opportunity. Schrödinger’s cat shows that quantum physics is not a closed and rigid theory, but an open and flexible one. It invites us to explore new possibilities and perspectives and to challenge our preconceptions and assumptions. It inspires us to ask new questions and seek new answers and to discover new phenomena and applications. Similarly, renewable energy shows that energy is not a scarce and finite resource, but an abundant and renewable one. It invites us to explore new ways of generating and using electricity and to challenge our dependence on fossil fuels and their negative impacts. It inspires us to create new solutions and opportunities and to discover new benefits and advantages.
In conclusion, Schrödinger’s cat and Pakistan’s energy planning are both examples of how quantum physics can help us understand and improve our world. They show that reality is not fixed but flexible, that uncertainty is not a problem but a potential, that observation is not passive but active, that information is not trivial but vital, that creativity is not rare but common and that opportunity is not limited but unlimited. They show that we have the power to shape our future, if we are willing to open the box.
—The writer has a Doctorate in Energy Economics and serves as a Research Fellow at SDPI.
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