PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive to shift loss-making electricity feeders to solar power, beginning with pilot projects in Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco), is indeed a pragmatic intervention in long-troubled energy sector. At the moment when both distribution companies and domestic consumers are reeling under mounting losses and unaffordable tariffs, solarisation of feeders offers a rare convergence of economic sense, environmental responsibility and social relief.
For years, high-loss feeders have been a major drain on the finances of power distribution companies (DISCOs). Technical losses, theft, poor recovery etc have rendered many feeders commercially unviable. The result has been a vicious cycle: prolonged load-shedding, ballooning circular debt and ultimately higher tariffs for paying consumers elsewhere. Transitioning such feeders to solar-powered micro-grids breaks this cycle by drastically reducing operational costs while ensuring uninterrupted supply. The benefits of solarisation of feeders are manifold. First, solar power provides low-cost electricity after the initial capital investment, insulating both DISCOs and consumers from volatile fuel prices and exchange rate shocks. Second, decentralised solar micro-grids minimise transmission and distribution losses, which are a persistent problem in power sector. Third, such systems are environmentally friendly, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Equally important is the participatory model envisaged by the prime minister, involving local communities and provincial governments.
Community ownership and cooperation can play a decisive role in curbing theft, improving bill recovery where applicable, and ensuring sustainability of solar installations. When communities see electricity as a shared asset rather than a distant state-provided service, accountability naturally improves. However, feeder-level solarisation alone will not be sufficient unless complemented by robust facilitation for domestic consumers to adopt solar energy. Skyrocketing electricity bills have pushed millions of households to the brink, turning power consumption into a luxury rather than a necessity. Subsidised financing and tax relief on solar equipment must be aggressively expanded so that middle- and lower-income households can transition to rooftop solar systems. Without such support, solar energy risks remaining preserve of the affluent, while majority continue to suffer under unsustainable tariffs.
