ENERGY CRISIS

Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and theologist, said that life is lived forward but understood backwards. We have lived Pakistan forward for sixty years and it is still important that we take a look into past so as to give us a better understanding of life. Oddly enough, we seem not to have learnt any lesson as a nation.

Every great invention in this world came as a result of men's desire to get away from threatening situation. The fear of ignorance is the reason why we have invested in education. The fear of world war three was the motivation behind the formation of the United Nations. The fear of going through another energy crisis could have compelled us to plan ahead to avert the current energy crisis. This fear did not motivate us. This has tempted me to write about the energy crisis confronting the nation, which has become like a long and dark corridor with no exit sign.

The casualties of the energy crisis are great. In the present age, without sufficient energy the wheel can't run on roads, industry and agriculture can't sustain, hospitals and operation theatres can't function, schools and laboratories can't work and public and private sector businesses can't operate. This is indeed the situation we are facing in Pakistan. The shortage of sufficient and affordable energy has not left any of the above-mentioned institutions operate smoothly. The situation demands a collective effort on the part of all stakeholders of society, including policy and decision makers, scientists and academia, industrialists and entrepreneurs and ordinary citizens.

One social dimension of the energy crisis is that many marriages in the country would break down. This is so because the crisis has caused people to be laid off from their work places. These people have their bread taken away from their table. Parents who have been asked to go home cannot meet the needs of their families: feeding commitments, school fees, and health commitments. Men would lose respect from their wives and children as they cannot play their role as the breadwinners.

What is the government doing to ensure a sustainable supply of energy resources for economic growth? What strategic steps are being taken to acquire energy resources in future? Is private sector willing to invest in Pakistan’s oil industry? What are the incentives being offered to the foreign players to continue working in the exploration sector? What hurdles are stopping other big players around the world to enter Pakistan? What is the role of gas distribution companies so far? Are the citizens of Pakistan being robbed by energy giants with ever rising utility bills? What should be the real price of petroleum, kerosene and other oil products in Pakistan? When will the nation have “load shedding free” electric supply? Have we been able to make long term contracts with the countries to provide uninterrupted supply of energy resources? Will the government be able to provide enough sources to the citizens for a sustainable economic growth? Have we lost the race for acquiring maximum energy resources for future survival?

Emerging shortages are due to oil price increases since 2003 which was induced by increasing demand from the U.S and China, the falling state of the U.S. dollar, and stagnation of production due to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Iraq is No. 3 in the world (besides Saudi Arabia and Iran) for its oil reserves. However some observers have stated the global oil production peak occurred in December 2005. If this is correct it is also to blame. Then 2008 Central Asia energy crisis which was caused by abnormally cold temperatures and low water levels in an area dependent on hydroelectric power brought energy blues alongwith South African electrical crisis which may last to 2012, lead to large price rises for platinum in February 2008 and reduced gold production. Despite having significant hydrocarbon reserves, in February 2008 the President of Pakistan announced plans to tackle energy shortages that were reaching crisis stage.
Particularly in Pakistan, low hydel power production and law and order problem in Balochistan have further aggravated the power blues. However government has taken actions like restrictions on night-time commercial activity which has sorely affected many small businesses.

President Pervez Musharraf stressed the need to overcome prevailing energy crises in the country by taking all possible measures on emergency basis. Chairing a meeting along with caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro on energy and power generation, President Musharraf said Pakistan had abundant energy resources which needed to be harnessed through an institutionalized strategy for optimum utilization.

He said that a multifaceted approach be implemented for the optimum utilization of Thar Coal reserves so that its benefits could reach the people. The President also ordered to put on fast track the development of Lakhra coal to meet future energy requirements of the country. He said the government was well-aware of its energy requirements and was striving hard to reduce the gap between demand and supply of energy resources - and the level of success of government efforts has been shown in the current statement by KESC Chairman that Karachites will face one and half hour power failure fourfold each day to overcome electricity shortage.

Pakistan needs to set up at least a dozen nuclear power plants, large coal fired plants, wind farms and solar plants in the next 10 years to generate about 20,000 MW of electricity. We need to invest at least a billion dollars a year in developing the infrastructure and establishing power plants using nuclear, coal, wind and solar technology. We need to cut back on non-development expenditures by at least one billion dollars a year to invest in energy needs.

One thing is certain: winning the arguments cannot be the answer to the problem. What is needed is an urgent assembly of problem solvers, charged with a clear mandate within a time frame to outline the most efficient pathways to tackle the crisis.