The role and necessity of modern electricity services in poverty alleviation is uncontested. Ensuring universal access to reliable electricity services at the time when our existing energy solutions are prompting climate change risks, in a climate-friendly sustainable manner seems a daunting task. Nonetheless, innovations in the field of renewable energy technologies (RETs) offer a promising outlook for the future. These innovations offer developing countries an opportunity to leapfrog and develop energy systems that ensure economic, ecological and social sustainability.

Today, South Asia is home to 1.2 billion people that have no access to modern electricity services. Those who are electrified face unreliable supply schedules. It has been suggested that the region has sufficient resources to fulfil its energy demand. However, the question remains how to develop these resources in such a manner that they are technologically and economically feasible. This presentation/talk would focus on the wind energy potential in South Asian countries and what different kinds of challenges are being faced with regard to the large scale deployment of wind power.

After analysing the common barriers faced by wind energy markets in various South Asian countries, the talk will focus on Pakistan’s wind energy market. The dynamics of wind energy market development will be discussed and how policy lessons can be extrapolated for other countries in the region.