NEWS UPDATE

Nepal has launched it's largest Solar Power Project, a part of Grid Solar and Energy Efficiency Project. Click here to read more. (Nepali Times, June 4, 2020)'

World Bank approves $100 million credit to reform Nepal's energy Sector and boost recovery from COVID-19 crisis. The approved credit is the second in a series of three developmnet policy operations to support key policy, regulatory and institutional reforms. Click here to read more. (The Kathmandu Post, June 3, 2020)

The World Bank approved- The Second Programmatic Energy Sector Development Policy Credit in the amount of $100 million that aims to support the government's effort to improve the financial viability and governance of the electricity sector. Click here for: Press Release and Loans & Credits (June 2, 2020)

An Overview of Development Partners' Activities in the Energy Sector. Click here to read more. (February, 2020)

Power- Less to Powerful- An article on Nepal's Energy Scenario . Click here to read more. (November 25, 2019)

First of Its Kind World Bank Survey on Quality of Electricity Access in Nepal Shows Remarkable Progress; Challenges Persist on Clean Cooking- 95 out of 100 households in Nepal have access to electricity, while 72 out of 100 have access to reliable, affordable and uninterrupted access to electricity for a significant part of the day, marking remarkable progress over the past decade, according to a first-of-its-kind national survey conducted by the World Bank in 2017. Click here to read more. (November 21, 2019)

Nepal Beyond Connections: Energy Access Diagnostic Report Based on the Multi- Tier Framework. The World Bank, with the support of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), has launched the Global Survey on Energy Access, which relies on the Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) approach. Click here to access the full report. (November 04, 2019)

The World Bank’s South Asia Energy and Social Development Units, with support from Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), organized the First Regional Conference of the Women in Power Sector Professional Network– WePOWER – to promote female practitioners in the energy sector. The conference was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 20-21, 2019.

The World Bank approved Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) Grant in the amount of $5.61 million and SCF Loan in the amount of $2 million to help Nepal diversify its energy sources to renewables. The SCF grant and credit support the Private Sector-Led Mini-Grid Energy Access Project, which aims to mobilize energy-service companies in selected regions of the country to increase capacity of renewable energy mini-grids. Press Release and Loans and Credits (January 30, 2019)

Second Programmatic Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC2)

Program Development Objectives

The electricity sector is one of the key drivers of Nepal’s economy and has the potential to yield large economic dividend for the country by meeting domestic demand and generating revenues through electricity trade with neighbors. The Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC) operations aim to support the Government of Nepal’s efforts to improve the financial viability and governance of the electricity sector. The programmatic DPC series has two pillars: (i) improving the financial viability of the electricity sector; and (ii) improving the governance of the electricity sector.

Program Documents

Program Document
Documents Related to Prior Actions of DPC2

Pillar 1: Improving the financial viability of the electricity sector

Prior Action 1a: The ERC has issued Electricity Consumer Tariff Fixation Directive (English Translation)
Prior Action 1b: The ERC has accepted NEA tariff application
Prior Action 2: NEA Board of Directors has approved NEA Corporate Development Plan
Prior Action 3: NEA has implemented Institutional Measures to Reduce Power Transmission and Distribution Losses

Pillar 2: Improving the governance of the electricity sector

Prior Action 4: The Council of Ministers has approved the Draft Electricity Bill for its submission to the Parliament
Prior Action 5: Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has approved the NEA Institutional Restructuring Plan
Prior Action 6: NPTCL Board of Directors has approved the NPTCL Business Plan
Prior Action 7: NEA has amended the Procedure for Purchase of Electricity from Solar PV System (English Translation)
Prior Action 8: NEA has adopted GESI Strategy and Operational Guidelines

First Programmatic Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC1)

Program Development Objectives

The Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC) operation aims to support the government’s efforts in improving the financial viability and governance of the electricity sector. The DPC series have two pillars: (i) improving the financial viability of the electricity sector; and (ii) improving the governance of the electricity sector.

Program Documents

Program Document

Documents related to the prior actions of DPC1

Prior Action 4: The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has adopted the power sector strategy and action plan

Prior Action 5: The Government of Nepal has published the ERC Act in the official gazette

Prior Action 7: NEA Board of Directors has adopted: (a) power purchase rates and associated rules for PPA of run-of-the river and peaking-run-of-the-river power generation, and strage hydropower generation projects; and (b) guidelines on foreign currency-denominated PPAs

Link to other project documents

WORKSHOPS

The First Regional Conference Women in Power Sector Professional Network in South Asia (WePOWER)

Introduction

The World Bank’s South Asia Energy and Social Development Units, with support from Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), organized the First Regional Conference of the Women in Power Sector Professional Network– WePOWER – to promote female practitioners in the energy sector. The conference was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 20-21, 2019.