Energy crisis and our rulers
THE energy crisis in the country is the concern in view of our natural resources which are diminishing at a rate too quick to meet the demand of our industry and consumers.
These natural resources are in limited supply and it will take long to replenish the stores.The natural resources supply is simply not able to meet the demand.
Most people find it difficult to connect the energy crisis with its impact, unless the price of their electricity bills go too up beyond their pockets, or they’re experiencing miserable interruptions to their supply.
The energy crisis is something that is ongoing and getting increasingly worse despite a lot of work to resolve it.
One of the main reasons is a general lack of understanding around the complex issues, causes, effects and solutions for the energy crisis that will enable a more widespread and concentrated effort at resolving it.
Our energy crisis stems from the foreseeable end of the cycle of water, oil, gas and coal.
In our country governments, concerned businesses and individuals are hardly working together to make the use of renewable resources a priority and to lessen the irresponsible use of fossil fuels and natural resources.
Energy crisis is affecting all parts of our country.It doesn’t take much to see that our energy needs over the past few decades have skyrocketed and we are reliant on an ageing fossil-fuel driven energy grid.
Our consumption, coupled with diminishing resources and their effect on the health of the environment is the main cause of energy crisis.
We are facing challenges of over consumption and energy waste. The energy crisis is a result of many different strains on our natural resources, not just one.
Our current consumption model relies mostly on consumable and finite resources like coal, oil and natural gas and these are becoming closer to being exhausted.
Energy demands are, and will be, amplified by the demographic and economic boom of growing areas. Our population has reached 250 million people.
Our energy demand would increase by more than 60% by 2025 in the absence of public policies.
What we put into context less often is not only our increased demand for energy but our increased demand for food and day-to-day products.
Even organic food, made from natural resources all come with an element of impact and drain on energy resources through production, transportation and energy to power the factories.
Unless we focus seriously on renewable energy, the problem of our energy crisis can’t be solved.
Renewable energy sources can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and also helps to reduce Green house Gas emissions.
We are operating on a very old electricity system. Most of the energy networks are using outdated equipment that restrict the efficient and effective production of energy.
It is the responsibility of utilities to keep on upgrading the infrastructure and set a high standard of performance.
Though upgrading costs a lot of money and uses a significant amount of additional resources.
There is a significant delay in the commissioning of new power plants that can fill the gap between demand and supply of energy.
The result is that the system comes under huge pressure to meet the daily demand of power.
When supply doesn’t match demand, it results in load-shedding and or even a system blackout.
Frequent trippings, power outages, line breakdowns or faults and disruptions to supply are result of poor distribution system.
When these interruptions to supply are experienced supply becomes more expensive.
Major line faults or break, and natural disasters like drought, flood, cyclones, eruption of volcanoes, and earthquakes cause interruption to energy supplies.
Wars between countries also hamper the supply of energy, especially if it happens in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar – the major suppliers of oil.
This causes increase in prices of oil and shortages which in turn have a ripple effect causing problems for energy consumers.
Tax hikes, strikes, political events, severe hot summers or cold winters cause sudden increase in demand for energy and choke supply.
With every passing day, the demand for fuels increases daily while their available quantity decreases every day.
This leads to an immense increase in the price of fossil fuels, causing the price to increase day in and day out.
This creates huge economic disturbance at national level.Energy shortages and resulting economic factors create socio-political issues.
Energy security is one of the major concerns of the main economic centres.Energy influences the possibility of growth, which is essential to the economy.
Energy crisis creates some socio-economic effects.It also creates a lot of political effects globally.
Energy crisis effects industry, production and tourism. The increased demand for supply impacts the overall energy available to run businesses, and drives the cost of operation up.
One reserves the right to question the rulers about energy projects?One also reserves the right to ask about unnecessary free electricity facility to hundreds of thousands of WAPDA employees, judges and civil and military bureaucrats.
The poor masses unduly bear this burden of consumption of electricity. Former Premier Imran Khan and former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar started fund raising campaign for the construction of Diamir-Bhasha Dam which never got completed.
Where are power generation units set up by different governments during last two decades?
Why Kalabagh Dam has not been constructed yet? Feasibility of Kalabagh Dam is complete and machinery worth over 6 billion rupees has turned rusted.
None is held responsible for this national loss.To meet the energy needs of the country why solar energy and wind mills are not being opted as alternative sources of energy?
Why all the governments couldn’t address this energy crises timely and properly? Where are power generation units set up on CPEC?
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
