A Lamp Not Yet Lit: Nepal’s Energy Optimism

Nepal is often described as an energy-rich country. Its rivers descend rapidly, carry immense force, and could, at least on paper, power industries, irrigate farms, preserve harvests, and anchor a modern economy. Energy is a core pillar of prosperity, shaping productivity, scale, and living standards across the economy.Nepal’s experience, however, is deeply paradoxical. Despite its exceptional hydropower endowment, it remains among the world’s lowest energy-consuming and electricity-producing economies.This contradiction is not incidental. It lies at the center of Nepal’s stalled structural transformation.