Ah, Big Oil. The term is technically used to describe the world’s seven largest publicly traded oil and gas companies, including BP, Shell, and ExxonMobil. But the term is also used pejoratively, to describe influential lobby groups, particularly in the US political system. These groups often have a blatant disregard for the environment, and for the laws that protect our planet.
However, corporations do respond to one thing: public perception. Witness, for instance BP (formerly known as British Petroleum), try to promote conversations about the carbon footprint in the 2000s. Witness also its memorable ad campaign “Beyond Petroleum”. The truth is, even marketing gimmicks aside, the future for both companies and the planet, is renewable energy.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewables (hydroelectric power and other renewables, including wind and solar) only made up 3% of energy consumption in 1900. Petroleum made up 2.4%. By 1975, renewables stood at 4.4% while petroleum stood at 45.5%, the highest share that bracket has ever had. In 2019, renewables made up 9.2%, while petroleum stood at 36.7%.
The point is, renewables are set to grow, and companies around the world are trying to get on board, even if they do it begrudgingly in spurts.
And it is also true in Pakistan. Thankfully, the country’s hydroelectric power is in a much better position, with about 30.7% of all electricity in the country generated by hydel in fiscal year 2020 (during that year, the total electricity generation in the country was 134,746 GWh). Other renewable sources of energy remain limited: solar is a rounding error, contributing only 0.59% to the grid, while wind stood at 2.36% (that is around 2,882 GWh).
Wind power in particular, has been growing. In 2004, Pakistan set up the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) to find out more about renewable energy, and wind power in particular. According to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Pakistan’s first commercial-scale wind power generation began in April 2009, when a potential wind farm in Gharo-Keti Bandar in Sindh was recognized. The 60 by 180 km Gharo Wind Corridor is estimated to have some 50,000 MW of wind power potential. That is great, since the national target for renewable energy generation (not hydel) is 9,700 MW by year 2030
