Integrated Energy Planning to help in tackling energy crisis: Planning Minister

ISLAMABAD, September 19 (Online): The Caretaker Planning Minister for Development & Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed said that Integrated Energy Planning will help in tackling the energy crisis being faced by the country.
He made these remarks while addressing at the workshop titled “Integrated Energy Planning for Sustainable Development, organized by the Energy Wing of the Planning Ministry on Wednesday. Under the vision 2025, the project IEP was envisioned to make a centralized Energy Planning and Resource Centre (EPRC) that meets the demands of energy planning for the fast development in the world.

The Planning Minister said that the outcomes of the Low Emission Analysis Platform (LEAP) model by the Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) will help in achieving the high industrial growth__ export-led economic base and to save the foreign exchange reserves.

The event was attended by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Jehanzeb Khan, country’s leading experts in the energy sectors and other stakeholders.

LEAP model is an effort to present a holistic integrated initial approach to Energy Demand and Supply Analysis; containing all components of integrated balances, it is used to compute long-term energy prices under various scenarios. It is noted that in August 2022, IEP for Sustainable Development took the initiative of providing an in-person LEAP training program where relevant energy sector stakeholders were invited to participate in the training process. EPRC working under IEP started working on Pakistan’s first LEAP energy model using an integrated top-down approach.

During the workshop, three thematic sessions were held which include Underlying Assumptions for LEAP Model & Estimation of Integrated Energy Demand, Power Sector Energy Mix to Meet Future Demand Using the LEAP Model and Fuel Sector Planning to Address Future Demand Using the LEAP Model by the leading experts like __Syed Akhtar Ali, former Member Energy, Planning Ministry, Dr Afia Malik, Senior Research Economist, PIDE, Sajid Akram, Director General Tariff, Khurram Lalani, Consultant on Energy, Omar Haroon Malik, Head Strategy & Power Market Development CPPA-G.

Over the years, Pakistan has relied on imported oil, gas and coal to meet its energy needs and this reliance on imported energy commodities has burdened the foreign exchange reserves of the country, said the Minister, while appreciating the Energy Wing for successfully launching this model which will help in tackling the serious energy crisis.

Furthermore, the Planning Minister also asked the energy wing to follow the timelines of another milestone that the IEP project which is going to achieve is the development of an Energy Information System (EIS). The EIS will integrate the energy sector data into a single universally accessible energy portal.

Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Jehanzeb Khan said that this is what the role of the Planning Commission in general and IEP, in particular is to make an inclusive and growth-centred energy policymaking in the country.

Highlighting the significance of sustainable development goals (SDGs), Dr. Khan urged for a reevaluation of Pakistan’s approach to energy planning in line with SDG 7—affordable and clean energy. He stressed the need to examine the fuels used in Pakistani households, considering affordability and sustainability.

The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission emphasized the need for a holistic approach to address energy-related challenges affecting the lives of the Pakistani population. He urged policymakers to consider clean, efficient, and affordable fuel options, especially for rural populations and advocated for aligning energy policies with global advancements in transportation and energy technologies.

Addressing the role of electricity as a public good, Dr. Khan urged deliberation on the extent of public sector involvement, emphasizing the urgency to adopt policies and legislation to guide decision-making. He also highlighted the potential disruptive technologies in the energy sector, including hydrogen energy, distributed generation, and electrical storage systems.