Foreign Investment and Pakistan's Energy Grid

Ilyas Qureshi interviews Osman Qureshi about Pakistan's energy system. Qureshi discusses Pakistan's shortage of power and the concept of "load shedding," in which large chunks of the power grid would be shut off for hours to keep the system from collapse. He explains his own role as an investment banker working on a deal to privatize powerplants in Pakistan. Qureshi also reflects on Pakistan's reliance on imported fossil fuels and the reasons for the country's lack of investment in hydropower. Qureshi also explains the influence of government corruption and foreign companies in Pakistan's energy system. He also discusses changes in oil prices and the impact of Covid on demand. Qureshi describes the impact of environmental protests on the oil and gas industry and the co-option of climate activism by fossil fuel-reliant Gulf states. Qureshi predicts a future dependent on electric vehicles and discusses the relationship between the electric vehicle and solar panel industry in China and in the United States.