The seminar on Energy Security Policy organized by CPSD on 03 December 2018, comprised three sessions on Oil and Gas, Water and Power, and Alternative Energy. The event was not only graced by worthy speakers who enjoy position of authority in the Energy Sector but was also attended by notable including diplomats, government officials, senior military officers, technocrats, and academics. CPSD launched the report of the seminar by organizing a roundtable of experts who further deliberated on follow up focus areas.

The need for a follow up roundtable stemmed from the fact that Pakistan faces myriad challenges and therefore a one off deliberation on a key issue was not enough to solve Pakistan’s problems.

Continuous engagement with experts is the need of the hour so that Pakistan could get access to energy resources in this era of global competition and conflict. As mentioned in the concept note of the seminar, half of the interstate wars have been linked to energy resources. Oil has fueled wars not only among states but have further provided sustainability to non-state actors.

The roundtable will not only launch the report but also engage international relations experts to delve into the new emerging dynamics of the energy politics. The growing competition in the energy realm has put South Asia on the spotlight. China-Pakistan Energy Corridor (CPEC)-the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) - in addition to connecting China with the Indian Ocean also has potential to plug the Pakistan’s energy crisis.

Pakistan’s socio-economic progress is inextricably linked to a reliable energy mix. The steep rise in oil and gas prices due to uncertainty in the Oil Producing Exporting Countries (OPEC) will also come under discussion and how it has suppressed the chances of an economic resurgence in Pakistan. The report which is currently being authored by a team of experts has specified issues linked to the power crisis. Such issues which are causing a rise in the cost of electricity are power evacuation bottlenecks, governance and managerial issues, electricity theft, and non-recovery of bills from consumers. The report is also going to discuss in detail Pakistan’s potential in renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, bio - energy, and hydel power. CPSD’s report will also conduct a comparative analysis of the renewable energy policies of the developing world and Pakistan.

In this backdrop, the roundtable for launch of report aims to gather experts to give their inputs on the comprehensive policy report so that further course of actions for projecting the report and ensuring its implementation in true letter and spirit.

Link To Report : Energy Security Policy - Report