Students in Kathmandu Valley Receive Electric Stoves

Kathmandu. Electric stoves have started being distributed to students from marginalized indigenous tribes and Dalit communities living in rented accommodations in the Kathmandu Valley. The Alternative Energy Promotion Center started distributing electric stoves to students from last Tuesday under the clean energy program. According to the center, through this program, which will be conducted on October 22, 23, and 26, electric stoves will be distributed to about 250 students studying at the graduate level or above, who have come from outside Kathmandu and are living in rented accommodations in the valley. This program has been brought to provide relief by reducing the financial burden on students due to the rising price of LP gas and its occasional scarcity, to increase the consumption of clean energy produced domestically, and to further expand the use of electric stoves, the center stated. Navraj Dhakal, Executive Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Center, said that the use of electric stoves will significantly save the monthly expenses of students. He expressed confidence that it will directly contribute to reducing the import of fossil fuels and increasing the consumption of clean energy in the country. The Alternative Energy Promotion Center, which has been active in the development of renewable energy since its establishment, has previously distributed more than 7,000 electric stoves targeting students. Similarly, 170,000 households have been promoted for electric stoves in partnership with local governments. The center aims to distribute an additional 500,000 electric stoves through the clean stove program operated in 22 districts of the Terai with the support of the Green Climate Fund. The government, through its third National Determined Contribution, has set a long-term goal of promoting 2.1 million households and 15,000 institutional electric stoves to reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector by 2035. The promotion of electric stoves will greatly help in achieving this goal of the government related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. According to the economic survey of fiscal year 2082/83, 58 percent of total energy consumption in Nepal is still from traditional energy and 39 percent from commercial energy. The share of renewable energy is only about 3 percent. Currently, only 11 percent of clean energy is being consumed, including electricity and renewable energy.