Beyond hydropower

Nepal must reduce its dependence on hydropower and opt for renewables like solar, wind and biomass.

The decade of the 2000s was one of the worst for power cuts in Nepal, lasting up to 16–18 hours a day, which severely impacted the quality of life and crippled the economy of the country. Several households and organisations installed generators and even solar-powered systems to deal with electricity issues. Through the mid-2010s, power cuts became less frequent with improved regulations and purchasing of electricity from India. Though Indian imports significantly improved the situation, the country’s high reliance on imports raises concerns about fiscal sustainability.