The crisis currently being wrought in the region involving Iran is not simply a matter of geopolitics; it is a test for the energy security of the Global South. However, beneath this surface-level crisis, a more nuanced difference is being created. Pakistan is not experiencing this crisis in quite the same way that others in the region are. While this crisis may look and feel like a monolithic event, it is, in fact, revealing the early outlines of a new energy paradigm that is already being created.

The key to this crisis is the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most important channels for global energy supplies. Instability in this region is felt instantly, and it is revealing to see how dependent energy-importing nations truly are. While this is a crisis for much of the Global South, it is not simply a matter of crisis management. Rather, this is a moment that is revealing important differences in how nations are approaching this crisis and how they will be approaching it in the near future.

Pakistan is increasingly moving towards the latter. The past few years have seen the rise of decentralized solar power in the country. Collectively, rooftop solar, commercial........

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