{
  "id": 1471661,
  "title": "Solar Owners Are Rapidly Breaking Pakistan’s Costly Power Plant Business Model",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/solar-owners-are-rapidly-breaking-pakistans-costly-power-plant",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-17T10:58:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/08/17/solar-owners-are-rapidly-breaking-pakistans-costly-power-plant-business-model/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pakistan's national power grid is grappling with a significant challenge as more households and businesses transition to solar energy. Electricity demand has plummeted by 8.66% year-on-year, according to official documents obtained by ProPakistani. Distribution companies (DISCOs) reported a sharp decline in electricity sales between April and June, with some experiencing a drop of up to 10%. This trend is primarily attributed to the increasing popularity of solar systems among domestic and commercial users.\n\nThe lower electricity sales are placing a heavier burden on consumers, as the fixed power generation costs are now spread over a reduced volume of electricity consumed. In April, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) saw a 10.77% decline in electricity sales compared to the same period last year. This decline continued in May, with a 3.55% decrease, and in June, it reached 6.29% year-on-year. The most significant drop was observed among residential consumers, with IESCO's residential electricity sales falling by 19.69% in April, 7.92% in May, and 5.72% in June.\n\nCommercial consumers also reduced their reliance on grid electricity, with sales decreasing by 6.85% in April, 3.80% in May, and 1.85% in June. Overall, IESCO recorded a 16% decline in electricity demand during the April-June quarter, with demand year-on-year falling by 16% in April, 8% in May, and 2% in June.",
  "summary": "The quick shift of households and businesses toward solar power is emerging as a major challenge for Pakistan’s national grid; … Read More The post Solar Owners Are Rapidly Breaking Pakistan’s Costly Power Plant Business Model appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}