How Sustainable Is Electricity Without Energy Security?

Electricity has become indispensable to modern life and economic activity. Homes, industries, irrigation, hospitals, educational institutions and technology-driven businesses all depend on a reliable supply of power. Yet electricity generation itself depends heavily on energy resources. This makes energy security an essential foundation of a stable and sustainable power sector.

Over the past one and a half decades, Bangladesh has significantly expanded its electricity generation capacity and extended access to electricity. At the same time, demand has continued to rise with industrialisation, urbanisation and changes in people’s lifestyles. This means building new power plants alone cannot guarantee future energy security. The availability, reliability and affordability of the fuel required to operate those plants must also be considered.

Installed generation capacity does not necessarily mean that a power plant can operate at full capacity at all times. Gas-fired plants, in particular, cannot utilise their full generation potential when adequate gas is unavailable. Similarly, rising prices of imported fuels can increase the cost of electricity generation. The relationship between electricity and energy can therefore no longer be treated as two separate policy issues.

Bangladesh Needs a More Diversified Energy Mix

One of the priorities for Bangladesh’s energy security should be the exploration and efficient use of domestic resources. Although domestic gas reserves are limited, there is still scope to explore potential new resources and improve production from existing fields. Exploration for oil and gas in both onshore areas and offshore blocks should therefore receive greater attention.

At the same time, relying too heavily on a single fuel source could create new vulnerabilities. Bangladesh needs a balanced energy mix that may include domestic gas, LNG, coal, solar power and other viable sources. Decisions should be based on the cost of each source, reliability of supply and its long-term economic and strategic implications.

Dependence on international energy markets also carries risks. Wars, geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global supply chains can cause energy prices to change rapidly. Bangladesh therefore needs to consider diversified sources of supply, long-term arrangements and adequate storage capacity as part of its energy security strategy.

Renewable Energy Should Play a Bigger Role

Renewable energy needs to become a more important component of Bangladesh’s long-term energy planning. Although the country faces limitations in available land, there is considerable scope for rooftop solar power. Government and private buildings, educational institutions, hospitals, factories and residential structures could all contribute to decentralised solar generation through better use of available rooftop space.

However, expanding solar power also requires investment in energy storage. Solar generation is concentrated during particular periods of the day, while electricity demand continues throughout the day and night. Battery storage, smart grids and modern metering systems will therefore become increasingly important in managing this difference.

The future power grid should not depend exclusively on large centralised power plants. It should be flexible enough to integrate electricity from multiple sources while maintaining reliability.

Energy Efficiency Is Also Energy Security

Energy conservation should not be treated only as an emergency response to electricity shortages. It should become a permanent part of national energy policy.

Industries can reduce consumption by adopting modern, energy-efficient machinery. Buildings can be designed to use less energy, while more efficient cooling systems and electrical appliances can reduce unnecessary consumption. If the same amount of electricity can support greater economic activity through efficiency improvements, pressure on new generation infrastructure can also be reduced.

Demand-side management should therefore receive as much attention as expanding generation capacity. Reducing waste can be an important economic strategy, not merely a temporary response to an energy crisis.

Modernising the Grid Is Essential

Generating more electricity is only part of the challenge. The country must also be capable of transmitting and distributing that electricity reliably to consumers. Modernising ageing transmission lines, substations and distribution infrastructure, while reducing technical losses, should therefore remain a priority.

Transmission and distribution planning must anticipate where future electricity demand is likely to increase. Generation, transmission and distribution should not be treated as isolated projects; they should be planned as interconnected components of a single power system.

Electricity Must Also Remain Economically Viable

Reliable electricity is important, but affordability matters as well. Higher generation costs can increase industrial operating expenses, raise the price of goods and eventually place additional pressure on consumers.

Before approving new power projects, authorities should carefully assess generation costs, fuel requirements, technology, capacity and long-term financial obligations. Expanding capacity quickly is not enough. The more important question is whether a project will remain economically beneficial to the country over the long term.

Regulatory institutions have an important role in this process. Electricity and energy pricing, investment decisions and consumer protection require transparent, evidence-based policymaking.

Private investment can also contribute to the development of the power and energy sectors. However, attracting investment should go hand in hand with transparent evaluation of project viability, technological efficiency and long-term financial commitments.

Reliable Energy for Industry and Agriculture

Unreliable electricity or gas supplies can disrupt industrial production. The consequences extend beyond business owners to employment, exports, product prices and the wider economy.

Agriculture also depends on electricity for irrigation, storage and processing. Energy security should therefore not be viewed simply as a power-sector issue. It is closely connected with broader economic security.

Regional Cooperation Can Strengthen Energy Security

Cross-border electricity trade and regional grid connectivity with neighbouring countries could support Bangladesh’s energy security. However, greater dependence on external sources must also be managed carefully so that one form of vulnerability is not replaced by another.

The objective of regional cooperation should be to create the capacity to obtain electricity from different sources when necessary, strengthening the flexibility and resilience of the national grid.

At the same time, Bangladesh needs skilled professionals capable of working with modern grids, renewable energy, battery storage and digital metering technologies. Greater cooperation among universities, research institutions and industry could help build domestic technical capacity.

Bangladesh Needs a Long-Term Energy Roadmap

All these initiatives need to be brought under a coordinated long-term strategy. Future electricity demand, energy sources, renewable energy potential, import risks and grid expansion should be considered together rather than through separate planning processes.

Setting targets alone will not be enough. A credible roadmap should also establish implementation timelines, institutional responsibilities, methods for measuring progress and mechanisms for revising policies when circumstances change.

Bangladesh cannot solve its electricity and energy challenges by depending on a single power plant or a single fuel source. Domestic resource exploration, diversification of the energy mix, renewable energy, energy efficiency, modern grid infrastructure, good governance and long-term planning must advance together.

Bringing electricity into people’s homes is an important achievement. But keeping that light on sustainably requires more than generation capacity. It requires secure, affordable and diversified energy supplies. Ultimately, a sustainable electricity system is not simply about producing more power—it is about building an energy system capable of supporting Bangladesh’s economy reliably into the future.

Author: Media professional and columnist.