The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has embarked on a substantial initiative, committing Rs. 55 billion to solarize all public buildings and equip low-income households with solar units. This effort is aimed at resolving the province’s electricity crisis and achieving a state free from load shedding. At a ceremony in the Chief Minister’s House, Memorandums of Understanding were signed between the Bank of Khyber (BOK) and the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur presiding over the event.
The project targets a comprehensive solarization of the province’s public infrastructure—schools, hospitals, universities, police stations, prisons, and government offices, with an initial rollout to 13,000 public buildings at a cost of Rs. 15 billion, part of a broader Rs. 20 billion allocation for public solar infrastructure. Additionally, the plan includes the installation of solar units in 130,000 homes of low-income families, providing 65,000 of these units free of charge while the rest will receive subsidies covering 50% of the costs.
The residential solarization project, with a budget of Rs. 35 billion, aims to convert homes across both settled and merged districts to solar energy, focusing on areas most affected by load shedding and high utility losses. Chief Minister Gandapur emphasized the investment’s dual benefits: reducing residents’ heavy electricity bill burdens and curbing the frequent power outages across the province. He also noted the significant expected savings on electricity expenditures for government buildings.
Dubbed the “Green Budget,” these initiatives are not only intended to free the region from reliance on the national grid but are also seen as a crucial move towards sustainable development.
