As power shortages spread, Pakistan switches off the lights

[SoCalDem]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100421/wl_mcclatchy/3484065-

By Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers Saeed Shah, Mcclatchy Newspapers – Wed Apr 21, 5:14 pm ET

LAHORE, Pakistan — Amid fears that severe energy shortages could touch off riots, Pakistan will announce drastic measures this week to save electricity, including a shorter workweek and restrictions on nighttime wedding celebrations, government officials said Wednesday.

With power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day in cities and villages, halting industry and even farming in some places, the electricity crisis could further destabilize a vital U.S. ally. Already this year, there have been streets protests, some violent, resulting in at least one death, over the electricity stoppages. "Children can't do their homework. Household work doesn't get done, as washing machines and other appliances cannot work. When you go home from work, you have no idea whether there will be electricity at home. Your whole life is disturbed," said Mahnaz Peracha of The Network for Consumer Protection , an independent Pakistani advocacy group.

The Obama administration says that helping Pakistan surmount its electricity crisis is one of the top priorities of its aid effort.

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Pakistan has been crippled by a shortfall in electricity generation, producing only about 10,000 megawatts of the required 16,000 a day. Further, some generators aren't working at full capacity because the government owes money to power producers. The government is expected to inject around $1 billion into the system to pay its debts, but energy savings can't make up for the shortages until new plants come online.

Industries such as the textile sector have had to shorten shifts and lay off workers, and farmers can't use their electric pumps to irrigate fields. Some businesses, such as tailoring and printing, are telling customers it will take weeks to complete their orders. As well as suffering from outages, consumers have been hit by a steep hike in the price of electricity, as Pakistan eliminated subsidies to meet lending terms by the International Monetary Fund , causing further resentment.

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[Pab Sungenis]

1. Shouldn't we be rebuilding our own electrical grid

so it's shored up against unforseeable disasters like, say, snow and ice?