The Diplomat reported on October 7 that solar power generation in Pakistan has surpassed 20% of total electricity output. However, this shift is intensifying financial strain on the formal power sector and complicating the country’s energy landscape. According to the 2026 World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR), Pakistan’s solar generation reached 36.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025—a year-on-year increase of approximately 85%—marking the first time it exceeded nuclear power output. Pakistan is China’s second-largest single-country market for solar panel imports. From early 2017 to mid-2026, the country imported over 58 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels from China, with roughly 4 GW delivered within the past two and a half years. Driven by high electricity prices, frequent outages, and declining costs of Chinese solar panels, a growing number of households and businesses have installed rooftop systems for self-consumption. Actual generation may exceed official statistics. While this reduces demand on the grid, it exacerbates financial pressures on the power sector: first, customer attrition concentrates fixed costs among fewer remaining users; second, underutilized power plants still incur capacity charges, further aggravating existing debt cycles. The rapid expansion of solar energy thus raises new challenges for Pakistan’s electricity pricing models, grid management, and the long-term role of conventional coal and nuclear power.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878530933991488/
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