ISLAMABAD, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari on Wednesday said the country has been taking steps to promote environment-friendly power generation to achieve economic growth with minimal environmental cost.
The country formulated policies to generate electricity from alternative sources instead of expensive imported oil, and a new system is being introduced in which power plants will be set up through a competitive process, the minister said during a meeting.
He said that multiple factories running on expensive imported furnace oil have been closed across the country, adding that these factories not only polluted the environment, but also put a heavy burden on the national exchequer.
Commenting on the solar projects, Leghari said the government is converting electric tube wells to solar energy in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, saving billions of rupees annually.
To promote electric vehicles and motorcycles in the country, the minister said the electricity price at charging stations has been reduced significantly. ■