Strengthening of local energy management industry stressed

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar on Thursday called for strengthening the local energy management industry to create job opportunities for youth and to mitigate the ongoing energy crisis.

They were addressing a one-day seminar on “Impact of Digitization on Municipal Energy Management,” which was conducted, benefiting 100 mid-level staff participants from various municipalities.

The event was funded by REEE-SCALE, GIZ and implemented by the Center for Intelligent Systems and Networks Research (CISNR), University of Engineering & Technology, Peshawar.Dr. Gul Muhammad, Director CISNR, talked about the project’s primary focus on implementing the SCADA System in targeted municipalities across KP and Punjab.

“Strengthening the local energy management industry can create job opportunities for the youth and play a pivotal role in mitigating Pakistan’s ongoing energy crisis,” he pointed out. The CISNR director stressed the importance of data in decision-making and presented the project’s achievements in the targeted municipalities of KP and Punjab.

He talked of the negative outcomes associated with energy wastage, which have the potential to result in GHG emissions, further worsening issues such as flooding and global warming.Abdur Rehman stressed the need for modernizing outdated energy management systems to reduce the energy costs.

He emphasized on lowering energy costs and subsidies for clean and green energy, encouraging private sector investment to support the government funds for the energy sector.Detlef Borst, the GIZ consultant, emphasized the importance of implementing digitalization in a sustainable manner.

He pointed out that such an approach not only enhances transparency in management and the energy sector but also contributes to the reduction of carbon footprints, aligning with GIZ’s goals.

The panelists called for public acceptance of new technology and consistent energy efficiency standards, regardless of changes in government.They proposed the appointment of trainers in each municipality of Pakistan, to provide ongoing energy management training.

The panelists recommended collaboration between institutions and academia to incorporate energy efficiency into coursework, equipping youth with knowledge of new technologies for the energy sector.They requested the policy-makers to provide more independence to the municipalities in investments and public private partnerships.