The government has officially stated that the rapid rise in solar net-metering is not harming Pakistan’s national grid, countering claims that rooftop solar users are destabilizing the system or reducing grid demand.
During a Nepra hearing on the 2026 power purchase price rebasing, CPPA CEO Rehan Akhtar clarified that while solar production is increasing, the grid has not been negatively affected.
Akhtar explained that households and businesses with net-metering systems are still taking nearly the same amount of electricity from the grid as before. “Their grid withdrawals remain stable,” he said, though he added that this pattern may evolve as solar adoption continues to grow.
Official data presented at the hearing showed a 173% jump in net-metering electricity injected into the grid — rising from 266 million units in 2023 to 726 million units in 2024. This surge occurred despite just 1% demand growth among state-run distribution companies.
Meanwhile, Karachi’s private utility, K-Electric, recorded a 9.4% increase in grid consumption after restoring its full 2,050 MW draw.
The remarks came as Nepra reviewed CPPA’s request to rebase the national power purchase price under the government’s January 2026 policy directive.
