Category: energy

Iranian Fuel Smuggling Resurges Amid Regional Tensions, Threatening Local Refineries

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ISLAMABAD: The inflow of smuggled petroleum products from Iran into Pakistan has surged again amid heightened regional tensions, raising serious concerns for local refineries and energy sector stakeholders. Industry sources say the situation has worsened over the past two months, coinciding with disruptions in global energy routes and volatility linked to developments around the Strait of Hormuz. The spike in global oil prices has also increased pressure on Pakistan’s import bill and domestic fuel market. Pakistan’s weekly oil import cost has reportedly jumped from around $300 million to nearly $800…

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IRENA Says Electrification Will Drive the Next Phase of Global Energy Transition

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has warned that rising geopolitical tensions, growing energy demand, and increasing fossil fuel market volatility are accelerating a new phase of the global energy transition focused on electrification, renewable energy expansion, and a faster shift away from fossil fuels. In its latest report, “Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels: A Roadmap Based on Renewables, Electrification and Grid Enhancement,” released in collaboration with the Brazilian COP30 Presidency ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, IRENA stated that current global energy systems remain structurally…

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National Power System Records Highest-Ever Generation in January Despite Adverse Conditions

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Islamabad: The Power Division notes recent media coverage regarding electricity pricing and wishes to place on record the exceptional performance of the national power system in January 2026. Despite challenging network and hydrological conditions, including canal closures, fog-induced transmission line trippings in northern and southern regions, and the cold wave , the system achieved its highest-ever January peak generation of 16,584 MW and an average generation of 12,239 MW. Actual generation stood at 9,106 GWh against a reference projection of 7,962 GWh, surpassing the projection by approximately 14%. This represents…

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Taxing the Sun By Dr Farrukh Saleem

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solar-Project

The government of Pakistan has done something no ruler, empire, dynasty or civilisation in human history has managed to do: It has taxed the sun. From the Pharaohs to the Romans. From the Mughals to the British Empire. Kings taxed land. Emperors taxed salt. Colonial powers taxed tea. But no one — not even at the height of imperial ambition — taxed sunlight. Until now. For 4.6 billion years, the sun has risen without invoice. It has shone without a billing code. It has powered crops, warmed oceans and lit…

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The net metering dead end

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LET’S start with putting a couple of undue misapprehensions to rest. I have had the opportunity of interacting with key decision-makers in the power bureaucracy and they assure me of two things. First, solar panels installed in people’s homes are not going to be taxed. Second, the net metering rate at which power utilities buy electricity back from consumers is not going to be revised downward for those who already have their system up and running. They emphasise that changes are being considered in the net metering regulations of 2015, with a…

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