Gagan Thapa, chairman of Agriculture and Water Resources Committee, said the government should focus first on hydropower projects which are at the final stage of construction. "Government's intervention can help expedite these projects. Fancy proposals on solar and wind power are not going to help us," he said at a discussion on ongoing hydropower projects organized by the committee on Tuesday.Thapa was taking a dig at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who recently said the government should harness alternative energy sources like solar and wind to end energy woes within a year as it takes several years to build hydropower plants.
He also urged the government to make rationale, practical and cost-effective plans to address the ongoing energy crisis.
Investment Board Nepal (IBN) on Sunday decided to conduct feasibility study for generating 300 MW within a year by harnessing wind power. About two months ago, the government had unveiled plans to install 200 MW solar plants within a year. But nothing has been done in this direction so far.
Thapa said that the government can generate 1,095 MW within two years if proper coordination and intervention is made in time.
The committee also decided to ask the Ministry of Energy to explain the rationale behind prioritizing solar and other energy sources and technical aspects like connecting solar and wind energy to national grid and size.
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