Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari announced that the government will not end the solar net-metering policy.
His statement followed media reports suggesting a switch to a gross-metering mechanism.
Net metering allows consumers to sell excess solar electricity to power companies, reducing their monthly bills.
Under gross metering, consumers’ solar electricity is fed into the national grid. They then buy it back, which could reduce financial benefits.
The minister denied these reports at a press conference at the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) headquarters. He said the government will continue promoting solar power. This policy started under PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s tenure as prime minister.
“PML-N introduced solar net-metering in 2017. We will keep supporting it, as it is dear to PM Shahbaz Sharif,” he stated. He added that the party is proud of the scheme. Many people have benefited from it.
The government will keep encouraging net metering. Any policy changes will involve consultations with stakeholders, he added.
He noted that when the policy started in 2017, few people applied for net-metering licenses due to the high cost of solar panels. However, net-metering applications rose significantly by 125% in 2023-24.
He mentioned that 0.3% of electricity consumers have rooftop solar net-metering connections, totalling 113,000.
Addressing other power sector issues, he noted that electricity demand has decreased by 8% due to reduced industrial growth.
In response to a question, he said the Lesco CEO has been directed to address system constraints to prevent overloading in hot weather.
Without naming the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he criticized one province for politicizing power theft.
He also hoped the KP Chief Minister would present a viable plan within 15 days to control power theft.
