LAHORE – US Consul General Colleen Crenwelge said on Wednesday that advanced technologies were making electricity more affordable, reliable and sustainable.
She expressed these views after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Power Information Technology Company (PITC) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) here at LUMS on Wednesday.
The memorandum marks the start of a partnership for research and development on smart grid technologies designed to improve energy use.
Consul General Crenwelge said, “We are proud to work with Pakistan as it builds technological capacity and improves the energy sector, and we hope to see growing private sector participation and investment in this endeavour”.
Utilizing the Smart Grid IT Laboratory established at PITC with US government support, she added, the LUMS and PITC would test smart grid technologies and showcase their benefits to distribution and transmission companies. This would also provide opportunities for LUMS researchers to exchange information on new developments with the Pakistani government.
On the occasion, the PEPCO Managing Director Waseem Mukhtar said that partnering with LUMS would stimulate research and development collaboration between the Pakistani government and local universities, besides enhancing local learning and technology transfer.
Acting LUMS Vice-Chancellor Shahid Masud said the Smart Grid IT Laboratory would help them achieve the university’s mission of effectively addressing power sector needs and contributing directly to Pakistan’s economic development.
The signing ceremony was organized by Sustainable Energy for Pakistan Project, a four-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) technical assistance initiative to support the Pakistani government’s efforts to deliver financially sustainable energy services. USAID provides technical and financial assistance to Pakistan’s 10 government-owned electricity distribution companies to help them reduce losses, streamline business processes, and improve financial viability.
