Power generation policy ready

LAHORE: The draft of Punjab Power Generation Policy 2019 is ready and will be introduced after the federal government power generation policy while the province is focusing on alternative renewable energy generation resources mainly on solar power generation.

Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakhat chairing a review meeting of energy department performance under Chief Minister Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) said that the provincial energy department started working under new vision of provision of cheap renewable energy for Punjab, ending dependency on federal government, the ESCO model of solar power generation would be introduced through public private partnership model in energy sector, besides energy generation through solid waste instead of exporting it. The public sector building will be constructed with environment friendly and energy saving designs, schools, hospitals would be shifted to solar power generation, energy generation plants would be installed in special economic zones, solar panels and equipments producing industry would be promoted and facilitated and department would be empowered to look after distribution and administrative matters of the power generation, the minister said.

The minister instructed the energy department to provide necessary consultations for energy saving alteration in nine hospitals of the province in the budget. Punjab Industry Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal stressed the need for launching energy generation projects of solid waste to ensure availability of cheaper energy to the domestic users.

Adviser to Chief Minister for Finance Dr Salman Shah said energy department should focus on solar power and off-grid power generation. He stressed the need for cheap solar power generation to achieve this task.

The meeting was informed that annual development plan of the department was focusing on increasing renewable and off-grid power generation. Five universities and four hospitals of different districts were being transferred to solar power under pilot projects. Solarization of University of Engineering and Technology Lahore and D G Khan Hospital would be completed by December 2019, the meeting was informed. Solarization of south Punjab schools would be initiated under clean investment programmes while energy audit of 800 public buildings was completed, 37,000 power thieves were identified while action and recovery campaigns have been launched, the meeting was informed.