Federal and provincial leaders agree to introduce transformer-based load management in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to reduce prolonged power outages, including in high-loss areas.
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is set to introduce a transformer-based load management system under which electricity outages will be managed at the individual transformer level instead of shutting down entire feeders, in a move aimed at reducing prolonged load-shedding across the province.
The decision was taken during a high-level consultative meeting between federal and provincial leadership, held at the Power Division on the special instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting focused on addressing prolonged power outages and exploring sustainable solutions to the province’s energy-related problems.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gov. Faisal Karim Kundi raised the issue of extended load-shedding with the federal government, calling for a reduction in outage durations even in areas with high electricity losses.
Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmed Leghari assured the governor that the government would take measures to reduce load-shedding in high-loss areas as well.
Under the proposed transformer-based load management arrangement, electricity supply will be interrupted according to individual transformers rather than shutting down an entire feeder. The approach is intended to prevent consumers across a whole feeder from facing prolonged power outages because of electricity losses or unpaid bills in a particular area.
The new mechanism is expected to provide more targeted management of electricity distribution and reduce the impact of localized power losses on consumers in surrounding areas.
During the meeting, the governor highlighted the difficulties faced by people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of prolonged electricity outages and stressed the need for effective federal-level measures to address their concerns.
Federal and provincial representatives also discussed broader challenges related to electricity supply in the province and the need for lasting solutions to its energy problems.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, the secretary of the Power Division, the secretary of the Petroleum Division, the prime minister’s special assistant for energy and the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Federal officials expressed hope that improved electricity supply would encourage consumers to pay their bills on time and cooperate with efforts to prevent electricity theft.
The government expects consumer cooperation to help sustain the proposed relief measures and support better management of electricity distribution across the province.
The transformer-based system marks a proposed change in the approach to load management in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the stated objective of reducing the burden of prolonged outages on consumers, particularly in areas affected by high electricity losses.
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