Moreover, a recent World Bank study report argues that delivering electricity through an MHP is more economical than through the NEA’s grid.Ĭlearly, the need of the hour is for NEA and AEPC to better coordinate their efforts and plan ahead accordingly.
Meanwhile, the AEPC supports MHPs assuming at least a 15-year operational lifecycle.Īfter going through the entire process of bringing MHPs to their villages, including taking loans and contributing to construction efforts, local communities must pay the price for redundant MHPs as they have wasted their resources and lost their investments. This makes it difficult to predict when and where the extension will take place. But the NEA plans its grid extension on a yearly basis. The extension of the national grid to rural areas is extremely positive and welcome. The Syarebhumi micro hydro power plant in Nepal is one of the pilot projects for connection to the national grid. Ten districts in 2010 showed similar patterns as about 11% of MHPs are now competing with the national grid. As a result, more than 50% of existing customers switched from their MHP-generated electricity services and the ensuing lower electricity usage made it difficult to pay off the loan that was taken out for the building of the plant. In places like Bhuktangle, Parbat and Righa, Baglung, detailed feasibility studies and construction of MHPs had already been completed when the grid was extended to these areas. Still, as the national grid was gradually deployed into rural areas – albeit with little coordination between the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), respectively responsible for the national grid and alternative energy promotion - villages with both existing MHPs and a new grid connection faced an entirely novel problem.
Moreover, the newly generated power contributed to improving the working conditions of women employed in local agro-processing mills as mechanical automation replaced labour-intensive manual processing.įor remote rural households not connected to the grid, MHPs have provided ready access to electricit y.
My job also entailed reaching out to local communities and ensuring they were deeply involved, from installation to maintenance, in bringing micro hydro to their villages.ĭuring my time in Sindhupalchowk, I witnessed firsthand the dramatic and positive changes hydro-powered electricity brought to people’s lives: houses lit up, radio and television sets came to life, mobile phones were easier to use, schools could run computer classes, small-scale enterprises flourished, and shops stayed open longer and offered more products. I was working in the rural energy development section of the District Development Committee and supervised technical support for micro hydropower plants (MHPs) in the area. Credit: The World Bankįifteen years ago, I started a new job in the Sindhupalchowk district in Central Nepal. Talti village in Dhading district in Nepal: A new micro hydropower plant has made it possible to openĪn agro-processing plant.