Islamabad: Pakistan can sustain the momentum of its solar rush through better planning, a flexible grid infrastructure, a reformed energy market and inclusive financing models which prioritise battery storage systems, experts said at a renewable energy conference in the federal capital on Tuesday. These remarks were made at the Solar, Storage, and Flexibility 2026 Conference, organised by Renewa-bles First, the Global Solar Council, and the Pakistan Solar Association, which was attended by Power Minister Awais Leghari, Senator Sherry Rehman, Global Solar Council CEO Sonia Dunlop and other international and local energy experts.
In his address, Federal Minister of Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari framed solar and storage as complem-entary energy assets. He noted that Pakistan’s energy mix was already 50 per cent clean, with a planned trajectory to reach 90 per cent by 2035, actively mapped across generation, transmission, and storage flexibility. He stressed that indigenisation of battery storage systems was essential to ensure they were manufactured domestically.
In a fireside dialogue moderated by Sonia Dunlop, Senator Sherry Rehman led the discussion on Pakistan’s climate vulnerability, its consumer-led solar leadership, and the political structures required to sustain the transition. Senator Rehman said the era of fossil fuels was coming to an end, and maintained that effective public policy must be grounded in realities on the ground and place equity at the centre of energy planning. She also highlighted the rapid growth of solar power across Pakistan, stating that one in every five households now has a solar energy system.
