ED: Taking power to every home

As we move more and more towards a technology-based society, the need for electricity increases. This means that power generation must be one of the priorities of the government. Amid much doom and gloom, it is good to see that more of the country is being brought under electricity coverage. Kudos to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for inaugurating 100% electrification in 31 upazilas of the country -- this is certainly a bold step forward in our road to development.

There is a target to be achieved here, and even in the middle of this pandemic, we seem to be on track. By 2021, the goal is to generate 24,000MW of power, and there is every hope that this will be a reality. Right now, the country has a capacity of producing 23,548MW of electricity, so we are nearly there. 

As time goes by, however, the demand for power will only increase. Experts have estimated that some 60,000MW may be demanded by the year 2041, and to that end, it is a good idea to get the private sector involved in power generation. Efficiency and sustainability will be the mantras of the future, and as we generate more power, we must do so in a way that is clean and green. Climate change, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic, has opened our eyes to the fact that we need to develop in harmony with nature, and failing to do so may bring us to our knees. 

That means the power sector, just like all other sectors, needs to evolve with the times. To that end, the energy-efficient nations of the world -- the Nordic countries for example -- could prove useful models for learning.