Written by Imran Ali
An energy crisis is any essential disruption in an economy’s supply of energy resources. The literature generally relates to one of the power sources used at a specific time and place, particularly those which deliver nationwide energy infrastructure and those used for the fuel in product development. Population growth and the recent pandemic have led to a surge in global energy demand in recent years. Society is undergoing an energy crisis due to the rapid exhaustion of non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas and coal. The rise of green power or greenflation is a solution to all the problems, although it will take some time.
There are various reasons behind the current energy crisis. Many industries and the rash commercial use of our energy resources. Aside from that, uneven population growth and unequal distribution of wealth are significant factors:
Many of the contours of this new world are not yet fully defined, but there is no going back to the way things were.
Pakistan is a country rich in resources. However, In early years, Pakistan failed to tap the resources to make energy sectional. At the time of partition in 1947, Pakistan was void of an energy sector.
Among many early problems, one of the prime issues was the lack of infrastructure to produce energy. In 1959, the government realized the need for energy demand and created the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).
Along with setting up the authority and starting up some Hydro power projects, Pakistan worked on the reservoir of energy. These efforts paid off well and till the 1980’s energy sector was thriving.
The country had two has hydro power production dams, Mangla Dam and Tarbella Dam. The year 1992 came with the discovery of coal reserves in the Thar Desert in Sindh. In early 1993, these reserves were estimated at 17 billion tons. However, much of Pakistan’s coal has a low calorific value and a high ash and sulfur content, which limits its value.
In 1990, the specter of the energy crisis started to haunt Pakistan .This crisis worsened over time and now Pakistan is in hot waters. According to World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index 2021 reveal, Pakistan is ranked 104th among 115 nations striving for energy transition in a bid to ensure a secure, sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy future amid the crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan’s national oil and gas company, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), predicts indigenous oil reserves will be exhausted by 2025, and that Pakistan will run out of domestic sources of natural gas by 2030.
The best solution is to eliminate the world’s reliance on non-renewable resources while improving overall conservation efforts. Much of the industrial age was built on fossil fuels, and renowned technology uses other forms of renewable energies, such as steam, solar, and wind.
Pakistan possesses immense potential for renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and hydropower. Increasing investment in these sectors can diversify the energy mix, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and promote sustainable