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ADB Backs Pakistan’s Power Overhaul With Support for Metering, Solar and Storage

The pledge points to concrete steps that could cut power costs and steady the grid.

Overview

  • A meeting Tuesday in Islamabad between Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari and ADB Country Director Emma Xiaoqin Fan produced a commitment to support power sector reforms.
  • ADB is already helping deploy advanced metering infrastructure, and it is studying rooftop solar and battery energy storage to map their impact on the grid.
  • The government is raising the share of local coal, hydropower and solar to hold down electricity costs for homes and businesses.
  • Officials asked for help to restructure the National Grid Company and to draw private investment into transmission, with the Pakistan Business Council engaged on the effort.
  • Next steps include a visit by an ADB vice president later this month, and the bank is preparing capacity-building programs such as technical training in Korea for power staff.