Govt to focus on promotion of clean energy: PM Deuba

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government has focused its special attention on the development and promotion of clean energy in order to resolve problems created due to the burgeoning climate change.

He shared, "Though we have not created climate change problems, we have been affected by it. Development of clean energy to resolve this problem is the need of the hour."

Addressing the 19th and 20th annual general assembly of Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal (IPPAN) here today, he laid emphasis on the need for involvement of all to lessen the impacts of climate change as Nepal has also been hit hard since the problem is getting worse due to biofuel and increment of natural disaster incidents like a landslide and unseasonal rainfall.

The PM opined, "There is a situation where mountains are becoming bare and we should be alert on time as it would invite a serious crisis."

He further said that the government has moved ahead with an action plan of consuming the produced power inside the country.

Prime Minister Deuba mentioned that the government would formulate a special action plan in order to give promotion for the use of electric vehicles and induction ovens and bring that into implementation.

He said, "Electricity produced in the country should be consumed inside the county. The government is ready to give grants for the same, he said, assuring to provide all types of support for the resolution of problems of the energy sector.

At the program, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Pampha Bhusal has said the government was working on an action plan that aims to encourage the domestic consumption of power. The government was serious about not letting available electricity go to waste, she said, seeking the cooperation of the private sector towards that end.

As the energy minister said on the occasion, there is no problem granting international power trade permission to the private sector if approached with meeting required criteria. “However, the government is aware of the possibility of the culture of not implementing the permission in the power trade as in the hydropower projects and wants to discourage this.

Minister for Forest and Environment Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav described clean energy development as the prime agenda of the country it had already expressed its commitments to the zero-carbon policy at the international forum. He said there would be no dilly-dallying on the official side in terms of works execution for the development of the energy sector.

He insisted on the need for support and cooperation from all quarters to meet the government's ambitious plan of generating 15,000 megawatts of electricity in ten years and for the development and expansion of clean energy.

Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Shashi Shrestha described energy as the base for development and prosperity and pledged to extend all possible support for the same. “The government is ready to work together with the private sector towards that end.”

IPPAN Chair Krishna Prasad Acharya demanded a one-digit interest rate for bank and financial institution’s loans meant for the energy sector. He also drew the government’s attention towards the formation of a high-level mechanism for the power trade with India and Bangladesh within a limited time frame.