With the announcement of the coal-fired Payra Power Plant set to be temporarily closed due to the ongoing coal crisis, there has never been a better opportunity for Bangladesh to finally pivot towards adopting renewable energy.
With the frequency and severity of mandatory load-shedding proving to be an immense pain for citizens and institutions alike, it is imperative that the administration began exploring renewable sources of energy as a genuine option.
As we dabble with the risks of a massive, nationwide energy crisis that could cause irreparable damage to the economy, long-term, the importance of sustainable solutions will become even more apparent for us to tackle any impending disasters.
While many renewable energy projects are often large-scale, advancements made in the last few years means renewable technologies are now also very well suited for rural and remote areas, where energy is crucial for human development.
To that end, regional projects such as Japan's Asia Super Grid will be absolutely key for countries such as ours to make its pivot to renewable energy all the more swift. It is of the utmost importance that the government be pro-active in making sure that Bangladesh gets to reap the benefits of such energy cooperation.
As things stand, renewable energy makes up a very small part of the entire energy sector of Bangladesh. But as we move into the future, and concerns about the environment become too great to ignore, exploring cleaner and greener sources of energy becomes the need of the hour.
With the current energy crisis, further exacerbated by dwindling sources of coal, time is clearly of the essence for us. Embracing renewable energy is ultimately the best option we have to not just avert future energy crises in the short term but to also save our planet in the long one.
