"Govt's target to achieving 100 percent RE will be fulfilled soon"

Kathmandu; Gopal Prasad Sigdel, secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has said that the government is moving towards achieving the goal of 100 percent Renewable Energy (RE) in the near future. He expressed his remarks during an interaction program which is jointly organized by Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC), Prakriti Resource Center (PRC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), World Future Council in Kathmandu.

Secretary Sigdel said that the government is gradually reducing the use of fossil fuels and increasing the clean and green energy not only hydropower but also solar energy and wind power. "The world is going to increase the consumption of RE," he said, "Nepal has also put forward a policy to increase the use of hydropower, solar and wind. A national campaign is needed to increase the generation and use of RE."

He also stressed that solar and wind energy should be prioritized from the local government to go towards 100 percent RE. The National Implementation for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation plan has set a target of producing 15,000 MW of clean energy by 2030.

Likewise, the government has prepared a roadmap to produce 28,000 MW of electricity by 2035. Sigdel emphasized that there is no option to go to electric vehicles and 'e-cooking' for the consumption of such kinds of producing energy.

Ram Prasad Dhital, former Executive Director of AEPC, has said that while the government and various plans are preparing a roadmap to completely RE, there are problems in its implementation. "Now, there is a big problem in getting investment in hydropower projects," he said. He stressed that to solve these problems, there is a need to coordinate financial management with innovative and scientific measures in the fields of transport, agriculture, energy etc.

At the same time, Deepak Bahadur Singh MP of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party and former Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has delivered his remarks that RE is important to fulfill the commitment of climate change and net zero carbon emissions. He said that Nepal's role in climate change is countless even though we are suffering its effects, so this matter should be taken up and raised in COP-28.

Similarly, AEPC Executive Director Nawa Raj Dhakal has said that the 'Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Bill' has been advanced to reduce carbon emissions, clean energy transition and scale up 100 percent RE. In the same, Muktiram Acharya, Joint-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, said that the first requirement is investment to implement the various goals set for renewable energy, and for this work is being done in the fields of Green Climate Fund, Innovative Finance, Green Bond, etc.

On the other hand, on behalf of PRC, Raju Pandit Chhetri, Executive Director has said that the role of the non-governmental sector has also contributed significantly to the government's plan and policy to achieve 100 percent RE. Along with the increase in the production of energy, the areas of consumption are also increasing. The government has also prioritized the use of electric cookstoves and electric vehicles.