The World Wind Energy Association, with the support of Heinrich Böll Stiftung (hbs), Pakistan has conducted a study titled “Impacts of 18th Constitutional Amendment on Governance of Renewable Energy in Pakistan.” The primary purpose is to analyse the impacts of devolution of power to the provinces on the governance of the renewable energy sector.
The report discovers that after the 18th Amendment, four main areas have been hampering renewable energy development in the country. These include: i) lack of national coordination plan; ii) grid evacuation capacity; iii) lack of institutional arrangements and expertise at the provincial level and; iv) lack of financial control and resources by provinces. The findings are based on five renewable energy dialogues workshops that were held across Pakistan.
The pace of renewable energy deployment in Pakistan is slower compared to the global trends. The centralised structure of the power system in a federation that consists of multiple administrative units impedes growth. The 18th Constitutional Amendment, passed in 2010, moved the structural affairs of the country from a centralised to a decentralised federation. The federal and the provincial governments should work hand in hand for the promotion of renewable energy. It is recommended that necessary steps need to be taken, like developing a strategic plan over renewable energy and defining roles and responsibilities of the provincial and the federal institutions involved in renewable energy development.