Closing businesses early, use of coal in comparison with oil, as stated in energy policy cannot be a long-term plan.
SAN FRANCISCO: This is with reference to the editorial “Pakistan’s new energy policy” (August 7). Closing businesses early and use of coal in comparison with oil, as stated in the energy policy cannot be a long-term plan. It is a temporary solution to reduce the demand at a time of high demand. People can go to shops during the day instead of in the evening.
As for coal, I wonder how the editorial determined that coal will be more expensive than oil in the future. It will never be since oil prices are set by the cost of transportation fuels (petrol, diesel and aviation fuel), whereas coal prices are set by coal’s heating value. Due to environmental pressures, coal will always be cheaper than oil on a calorific (heating) value basis.
Ahmad Nasser
Published in The Express Tribune, August 9th, 2013.
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