How to Get Cheap Electricity Through Pakistan’s Solar Wheeling Policy
Pakistan is planning a solar wheeling policy that would let people generate solar power in one place and use the credits elsewhere on the grid.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The federal government is working on a solar wheeling, or energy wheeling, framework that could let consumers and businesses place solar panels on land in rural areas and use the resulting credits in cities. Supporters say it could help apartment owners, cut power bills, and lower business costs.
Pakistan may let someone make solar power on land in one place and use the savings in another place, like paying with a gift card earned far away. That could help city people and businesses get cheaper electricity without needing panels on their own roofs.
Analysis
What the policy would do
The article says the federal government is planning a Solar Wheeling Policy, also called an Energy Wheeling Policy. Under the idea, a consumer or business could generate solar electricity at one location, then use the resulting energy credits at another location through the national grid.
Who could benefit
The story says the proposal is aimed at people and businesses that own land in rural areas but live or operate in major cities, where solar installation can be difficult or expensive. That includes apartment residents who lack enough rooftop space. In the example given, a city apartment owner could place panels on family land in a village and apply the credits against urban electricity use.
Business and industry angle
Usman Shaukat, president of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told business leaders that the government was working on the framework. Shaukat described solar wheeling as a major change for industry because it could lower operating costs and improve competitiveness.
He also said energy wheeling is already used in many countries and major cities, where electricity generated in one place is transmitted through the grid and consumed elsewhere. According to him, Pakistan's industrial sector has long wanted more flexibility to access cheaper renewable power.
Broader economic context
The article frames affordable, reliable energy as essential for industrial growth, investment, and economic competitiveness. It also notes that Shaukat urged stronger support for Pakistan's IT sector through policy reform, investment facilitation, and export-oriented growth measures.
Key points
- The federal government is planning a solar wheeling policy that would let electricity credits move through the national grid.
- The policy is meant to help people who own land in rural areas but live or operate in cities.
- Apartment residents could use solar panels installed on family land outside the city to offset urban electricity use.
- Business leaders say the policy could lower industrial costs and improve competitiveness.
- The article says energy wheeling is already used in other countries and is a long-standing demand of Pakistan's industrial sector.
If the framework is implemented well, more households and businesses could tap cheaper solar power even without suitable rooftop space. That could reduce bills, support industry, and make renewable energy easier to use across cities and rural areas.
The plan still depends on the government turning the idea into a workable grid and credit system. If the rules are slow, complex, or hard to enforce, the policy may not deliver the promised savings or broad access.
