Is govt mulling to review solar net metering policy?

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Tuesday categorically rejected media reports and said that the government would not make any change in solar net metering policy sans the consensus of all the stake holders.

Responding to a call attention notice in the upper house of the parliament, the energy minister said: “If the policy is reviewed, it will be done in a transparent manner and after consultation with [all] the stakeholders.” 

Last week, reports emerged that the federal government was planning to replace solar net metering with gross metering for rooftop solar panels which would extensively reduce the financial benefits of in-house power generation.

Rubbishing the media reports, the minister asked when did they say that the government was discouraging net metering.

In a bid to clarify the controversy surrounding net metering for solar power, he said that the matter was not discussed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He further said that they proposed reforms in the power sector.

“Upper class people are doing well by investing in it.” In his clear “policy statement”, Leghari said that the government was not planning to change net metering.

“No directives have been issued to stop net metering,” he said, adding that 1500MW of electricity was being generated from the private solar system.

Calling the “solar investment” beneficial at the moment, the minister said that there were 11,3000 solar metering connections across the country.

Earlier in the day, Leghari clarified the controversy surrounding net metering for solar power, saying that it is unfortunate panic is being created in the market unnecessarily.