Pakistan solar generation has overtaken nuclear power for the first time, according to new global data that shows how quickly rooftop and utility-scale panels have reshaped the country’s electricity mix.
The figures come from the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026, which uses data up to July 2026 and was reported by Dawn. Solar produced 36.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2025, comfortably ahead of nuclear at 22.5 TWh. The report says the solar number is likely to be highly underestimated, because a large share of panels sit on rooftops and are not fully metered.
Pakistan Solar Generation vs Nuclear: The Numbers
Nuclear power still hit a record in 2025. Its net output rose from 21.7 TWh in 2024 to 22.5 TWh, an increase of about four percent. Pakistan operates six nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 3,262 megawatts, all of them built by the China National Nuclear Corporation.
Even so, solar has moved much faster. By the summer of 2025, solar had already become the single largest source of electricity in Pakistan, and the latest data shows it is now well ahead of nuclear over a full year. On the reported figures, solar produced roughly 60 percent more electricity than nuclear in 2025.
A Boom Driven by Imports
The surge has been fuelled by imported panels. Between 2017 and mid-2026, Pakistan imported a cumulative 58 gigawatts of solar panels. Around 40 gigawatts of that, or 69 percent, arrived after the start of 2024. According to the report, Pakistan ranks second in the world for solar imports by a single country, behind the Netherlands.
The reasons are familiar to households and businesses. High grid tariffs, repeated load-shedding and falling panel prices pushed consumers to generate their own power. Much of that growth happened outside government planning, which is why official data struggles to capture it. The same trend was visible at the recent Solar Power Conclave, where industry leaders called for a manufacturing policy to turn the boom into jobs and exports.
Industry observers say the shift also reflects a broader change in how Pakistanis think about electricity. A decade ago, power meant waiting for the grid; today, a growing number of homes, shops, factories and farms treat solar as their first choice and the grid as a backup. That behavioural change is hard to reverse.
The Debt Behind Nuclear Power
The report also looks at the cost side of nuclear energy. Repayments on the K-2 and K-3 reactors are a significant burden, with a 12-year repayment period that covers only about 20 percent of the plants’ estimated 60-year lifespan. That means the plants will keep producing power long after the debt has been paid, but the early years are expensive for consumers and for the national budget.
What It Means for the Grid
The rise of solar creates opportunities and risks at the same time. Cheaper, cleaner electricity helps households cut bills and reduces dependence on imported fuel. But as more people shift away from the national grid, utilities lose paying customers, while fixed costs such as capacity payments are spread over fewer users. Energy experts have been urging policymakers to invest in storage, upgrade transmission and revise tariffs so the system stays balanced.
Nuclear power will continue to play a role as stable, round-the-clock baseload supply, and its record output shows the reactors are performing well. But the latest numbers make one thing clear: Pakistan solar generation is no longer a side story. It is becoming the backbone of the country’s power supply, and policy will need to catch up with that reality.
