Urja Khabar
KATHMANDU; The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has formed a subcommittee to prepare criteria for opening the power purchase agreement (PPA) process, in a move aimed at breaking the prolonged deadlock over PPA approvals.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the NEA Board of Directors on Thursday evening, chaired by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha.
The subcommittee, coordinated by NEA board member Anshu Kiran Shahi, has been given seven days to prepare and submit the proposed criteria to the board.
Deputy Director General of the Department of Electricity Development Shaligram Bhandari and energy-sector expert Riwaj Sharma are members of the subcommittee, while the director of NEA’s business unit will serve as the member-secretary.
According to the board’s decision, the subcommittee will study the existing criteria for signing PPAs with energy producers holding generation licenses, as provided under the Finance Act, 2026. It will also review recommendations made by a committee previously formed by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.
The move comes amid a long-running controversy and uncertainty over PPA approvals, with the government now seeking to establish clear criteria to facilitate the process.
