Govt Moves to Strengthen Legal Framework for Renewable Energy

The Government of Nepal is preparing a robust legal and policy framework to boost the use of green energy, with the aim of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2045, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Anil Kumar Sinha said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a national conference on green energy and the carbon economy, Minister Sinha emphasized that such policies are essential to uphold citizens’ constitutional right to a clean environment and to meet sustainable development goals. He highlighted existing incentives for electric appliances and vehicles, the goal of reaching 500 megawatts of solar energy capacity by 2035, and recently introduced guidelines for ethanol blending as examples of these efforts. He also noted support for replacing traditional brick kilns with electric kilns.

Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, said that with 60 percent of total energy consumption still dependent on imported fuels, achieving national carbon emission targets requires participation across all sectors. While policies are in place, he acknowledged that implementation remains weak and the private sector has yet to be fully attracted to green energy projects.

“Banks currently hold Rs 1.1 trillion in loanable funds at low interest rates, presenting an excellent opportunity for private investment in green energy, which must be clearly communicated to investors,” Shrestha said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre Nawa Raj Dhakal reported that Nepal has so far generated 140 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources. He outlined plans to increase solar energy capacity by 27 megawatts, expand the network with 132 charging stations and 513 charging lanes for electric vehicles, and reduce imported fuel consumption in irrigation through the installation of 4,137 solar pumps. -- RSS