{
  "id": 16532163,
  "title": "Keeping lights on gets pricier by the day",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/keeping-lights-on-gets-pricier-by-the-day",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-25T23:07:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40445894/keeping-lights-on-gets-pricier-by-the-day"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pakistan's power sector faces escalating costs as demand soars, driven by limited fuel options and rising prices. September saw a 4.4% increase in generation to 12.76 billion units, driven by increased industrial use and slower household adoption of rooftop solar. However, imported coal's share more than doubled, while liquefied natural gas (RLNG) generation plummeted by half compared to the previous year. HSD generation reached its highest level since February 2022, at Rs62 per unit, marking the most expensive fuel source. The fuel cost adjustment for September surged by nearly 44% year-on-year, with the regulator's request reaching Rs2.56 per unit, the highest since June 2024. Despite modest generation growth, the shift to more expensive fuels has made meeting demand substantially more costly. Winter may offer some respite, but the underlying issue persists: the power sector's reliance on pricier alternatives to balance intermittent solar and hydel generation. Consumers will feel the strain as thermal plants bear the burden of evening and seasonal balancing, with limited relief if fuel affordability remains a challenge.",
  "summary": "Pakistan’s power generation is growing, but the cost of meeting demand is rising much faster. September brought another reminder that the country’s fuel mix is becoming increasingly expensive, with limited RLNG availability pushing more generation onto imported coal and, at the margin, high-speed diesel (HSD). Power generation stood at 12.76 billion units in September, up 4.4 percent year on…",
  "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."
}