Security debates, commercial data and official speeches may not suffice to identify the future of the US-Pakistan relationship. Something more real, urgent and connected with life in general, electricity, can also affect it. Since the time immemorial, the energy crisis has been a bane to the development of the Pakistani population, religious belief and industrialization. The US has been funding the Pakistani power industry over the years through hydro power projects, technical assistance, and improvements in the systems. That history matters. Nevertheless, more significant today is the fact that two countries will be given a chance to forget about the old paradigm and build smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable cooperation with the assistance of renewable energy.

One of the constructs that can assist in doing so is the US Pakistan Green Alliance. It represents a sign of a shift towards a broader energy assistance scheme to a larger and more comprehensive cooperation on the climate, technology, and resilience. It is what should be done at the right time. Pakistan is being compelled to introduce additional power supply, reduce dependence on foreign fuels and respond to increasing climatic threats. The United States, in its turn, would like to establish fruitful international cooperation that would allow to establish effective clean energy markets and reduce the emissions. They are not conflicting interests. In fact, they appear to be complementary to each other. Investment, experience and technology are needed in Pakistan. The US possesses businesses, institutions, and research opportunities that might sustain such requirements.

Solar energy should be targeted in this alliance. Pakistan enjoys a great geographical advantage. Most of the nation is surrounded with high intensity of sun rays in most part of the year and consequently, solar is among the most viable and affordable in scaling up electric power that is clean. The latter is also the fastest means of putting off pressure on a grid that has been relentlessly straining with inefficiency, losses and imbalanced supply. Unless Pakistan is willing to realize its goal of supplying 60 percent of its electricity needs with renewable energy by the year 2030, then solar cannot be an incidental project. It should be made a national priority and policy consistency, grid planning and long-term funding.

This is the reason why the rapid transition of Pakistan to the solar deserves more consideration. It is a strategic and economic one. As the solar farms continue to expand, and the number of users who have already put panels on their own homes are also rising, Pakistan is slowly starting to show that that a developing country can be capable of doing much when clean energy becomes cheaper than it may take. Pakistan truly stands a real chance of becoming a serious participant in embracing the sun not necessarily because of the need to have an attractive green label but because the economics is becoming too difficult to disregard. Solar is a predictable solution to homes, companies and manufacturers which the conventional system has never been.

This kind of search of predictability becomes more important as climate change is undermining established assumptions on the issue of energy security. Pakistan has been excessively relying on hydropower and the hydropower will remain important. Climate is however changing at a greater pace than infrastructure planning. Availability of water is being affected by melted glaciers, erratic water rivers, and changing monsoon patterns. States are unable to develop their overall energy policy on the grounds of situations that are becoming more challenging to forecast. This does not mean that hydropower is being foregone. It is bearing the responsibility of accepting the fact that hydro cannot stand alone. The more intelligent one will be a diversified renewable mixture which will primarily rely on solar with wind and additional storage.

It is here that the United States can add the real value additions. The applicability of the American firms and institutions is not merely connected with the fact that it is possible to sell equipment. They might contribute to grid modernization and energy management software, battery storage, forecasting systems and technical training in the most positive way. It is not only that Pakistan needs more generation. It ought to possess an improved system which would assimilate renewable energy without any wastage. Solar panels do not depict everything. There are the equally important transmission lines, smart meters, battery integration, and digital controls. A green alliance will be incomplete without attention to the grid.

The business has fallen on the ground. Inability to afford the intermittent power or the rising cost of energy is forcing the companies in Pakistan to turn to solar. It is positive that change should not be regarded as a workaround. In fact, it shows the course that the policy should take. The businesses are voting in favour of stability by choosing to use solar in their business. They are saying that energy is not a utilitarian issue, but it is a competitiveness issue. This is a serious threat to the US firms which specialize in solar energy and grid optimization. Pakistan is non-export market. It is an ally with which the innovation could be tried, tested and implemented in the actual situation.

Reliable energy is also closely connected with wider strategic value. The special economic zones and the major routes in Pakistan should be supplied with power at all times in order to promote investment, production, and employment. The factories are not dependent on electricity or no industrial plan functions. A trade route will never be able to reach its full potential when the logistics centres and economic zones are always hit by interruptions. Reliability of energy is not therefore exclusive of national development. It is one of its foundations. These growth centres can be insured and exposure to fuel shocks and climatic misery is reduced by having a closer relationship with the United States on energy matters.

© Eurasia Review