From energy blues to green energy: Options before Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan has been facing an extreme energy crisis, which partly stems from its dire economic conditions. In the coming years, there is expected to be a sudden surge in the demand for energy, which should ideally be fulfilled with indigenous energy production. As some types of energy systems are associated with extreme adverse effects on environment, it is imperative that our future energy mix should be environmentally least adverse subject to various economic and non-economic constraints. This paper reviews the current energy profile and presents some future prospects about the energy distribution. The paper also reviews the scientific evidence available on the likely environmental impact of various renewable energy sources to hedge against the "sad euphoria-turned-despair history of hydel power projects", and develops a framework to assess the feasibility of available energy options.