KARACHI: Pakistan has emerged as the world’s third-largest importer of solar panels, driven by soaring electricity prices and persistent load-shedding that have pushed households and industries toward solar energy at an unprecedented pace.
According to government official Ayesha Moriani, who spoke to Reuters, major cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sialkot may experience “negative demand” for the first time in 2026.
This means that instead of drawing electricity from the grid, consumers will be generating excess power from rooftop solar and feeding it back into the system.
Moriani noted that while solar adoption is helping citizens by reducing electricity bills, it has created a serious challenge for power companies. As consumers buy less electricity from the grid, utilities are reporting rising debt burdens.
To address this issue, the government is preparing new regulations requiring homes and factories with solar systems to contribute to grid maintenance costs, even if they consume less grid electricity.
At the same time, Pakistan is seeking to renegotiate costly LNG agreements with Qatar, as solar power is now proving to be a more economical alternative.
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