Q2. Prepare your own energy strategies for sustainable development of our nation.

Energy is one of the essential drivers for social and economic development. A sustainable energy
supply, both in the short and the long term, is needed for enhancing economic development,
people's quality of life and protecting the environment. Availability of quality energy could
augment the productivity and the effective supply of physical and/or human capital services.
Advanced industrialized countries are able to use modern machinery and techniques for
increasing the capital-labor ratio and productivity of the workers because of the availability of
required amount of energy.

Nepal has no known major oil, gas, or coal reserves, and its position in the Himalayas makes it
hard to reach remote and extremely remote communities. Consequently, most Nepali citizens
have historically met their energy needs with biomass, human labor, imported kerosene, and/or
traditional water-powered vertical axis mills, yet per capita energy consumption is thus
“startlingly low” at one-third the average for Asia as a whole and less than one-fifth the
worldwide average. In 2010, Nepal’s electrification rate was only 53 percent (leaving 12.5
million people without electricity) and 76 percent depended on fuel wood for cooking (meaning
20.22 million people placed stress on Nepali forests for their fuel needs). This situation has led
some experts to call the country’s energy portfolio “medieval” in the fuels it uses and
“precarious” in the load shedding that occurs throughout Kathmandu, due to an imbalance
between electricity supply and demand. Nepal, however, has all it needs to escape these
problems. Large markets for improved cookstoves, biogas digesters, and solar lanterns exist
throughout the country. Independent scientific studies have calculated that the country could
meet all if its own energy needs—indeed, even the potential needs of Nepal plus many of its
neighbors—if it tapped its solar resources or its hydroelectric resources (and potentially its wind
resources). These efforts could be complemented with attempts to strengthen energy efficiency
planning, with significant potential for transmission upgrades and retrofits and more efficient
lighting practices.

For the sustainable development of our nation, in my opinion, the following energy strategies
should be work out and implemented:

 Hydropower development (both RoR and Storage) should be maximized along with other
energy resources such as Solar, wind and biomass such that to achieve the proper energy
mix.
 Capabilities of existing physical infrastructure such as road access and transmission lines
should be strengthened and new ones are added
 In transport sector, introduction of biofuels (ethanol and Bio-diesel) and electric cars and
mass transportation should be promoted.
 Reform policies to attract private sector with incentives such as soft loan and others.
 Regulatory bodies and enforcement mechanisms should be strengthened with clear
responsibilities, regulations and effective monitoring.
 The legal instruments should be reviewed regularly and adaptive measures taken so that
they remain compatible with the changing circumstances
 The integrated planning should prioritize water as the lead energy resource. WEC/WECS
should be the lead agency for integrated energy planning. All the sub sectoral institutions
in energy will integrate the sub-sectoral energy plan with the integrated energy plan to be
prepared by the WEC/WECS. The WEC should be the apex body for national energy
security and integrated planning.
 Institutional reform of the existing institutions to eliminate the monopoly. Monopoly of
(i) NEA in hydropower transmission, distribution and (ii) NOC in import, storage,
transfer and distribution of petroleum product. This will make them competitive
improving the service delivery. The syndicate system in renewable energy for example in
biogas and solar lighting should be eliminated.
 The high voltage cross-border and domestic transmission lines of different capacities
should be identified and installed in close coordination with the electricity generation
centers and Transmission Line Master Plan for effective implementation should be
prepared.
 Necessary conflict resolution mechanisms should be made functional so that most of the
water-related conflicts are resolved quickly.
 All individual and community water use rights should be registered and documented, and
regulatory compliance should be strictly enforced.
 Environment for incremental domestic capital market and foreign capital for hydropower
development should be improved
 Promotion of electricity operated small appliances, machines, with a target of complete
electrification in selected possible sectorial end-uses.
 Benefits from new initiatives like Clean Development Mechanism should be explored.
 Establishment of energy information and dissemination center to share experience and
have regular interaction among relevant stakeholder at all levels.
 Energy efficiency and conservation culture through demand-side-management should be
promoted.