ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Energy Conference (PEC) 2026 has issued a strong set of recommendations calling for urgent policy reforms, accelerated digitalisation and a more investment-friendly regulatory framework to steer Pakistan’s energy sector towards sustainability and long-term growth.
Concluding on Thursday in Islamabad, the conference, organised by the Petroleum Institute of Pakistan (PIP), emphasised that without structural reforms and consistent policies, the country risks prolonged inefficiencies, rising costs and declining investor confidence across the energy value chain.
Participants stressed the need for regulatory certainty and policy continuity, urging the government to streamline approval processes, reduce regulatory overlaps and ensure predictable fiscal and tariff regimes to attract domestic and foreign investment, particularly in the upstream oil and gas sector. Reviving exploration activity, including offshore potential, was highlighted as critical to arrest the country’s declining indigenous energy production.
The conference also underscored the importance of integrated energy planning, recommending closer alignment between gas, power and petroleum policies to avoid surplus capacity, stranded assets and costly import dependencies. Speakers warned that fragmented decision-making has contributed to inefficiencies and mounting circular debt.
A major recommendation focused on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, with delegates calling for wider adoption of AI-driven tools to improve operational efficiency, optimise asset management and enhance data-driven decision-making across upstream, midstream and downstream segments.
On the energy transition front, participants urged policymakers to unlock new revenue streams through battery energy storage systems (BESS) and carbon markets, recommending the development of clear regulatory frameworks to enable participation in carbon credit trading and low-carbon technologies without undermining energy security.
The conference further highlighted the need for capacity building and skills development, recommending closer collaboration between industry, academia and training institutions to prepare the workforce for emerging technologies and evolving energy systems.
To support vulnerable consumers while restoring financial health, delegates called for better-targeted subsidies and improved cost recovery mechanisms, noting that long-term sector sustainability depends on reducing distortions while protecting lifeline and priority sectors.PIP leadership said the recommendations would be shared with relevant ministries and regulators.
