TY - JOUR
T1 - The future of hydropower development in Nepal
T2 - views from the private sector
AU - Schulz, Christopher
AU - Saklani, Udisha
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the participants of this study for generously sharing their insights on hydropower development in Nepal. They are also grateful to Emma Mawdsley for helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper. This work was supported by the UK Research and Innovation Economic and Social Research Council [ ES/P011373/1 ] as part of the Global Challenges Research Fund. Udisha Saklani also acknowledges funding from the Margaret Anstee Studentship at Newnham College, as well as the Philip Lake Fund II and University Fieldwork Fund Award of the University of Cambridge, UK.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Private sector actors are taking on an increasingly prominent role in energy transitions, including in hydropower development and finance. Yet, there is little empirical research on the topic. This study covers private sector views on accelerating hydropower investment in Nepal, using Q methodology. Three main viewpoints were identified among 17 interviewed hydropower developers, planners, and investors based in Nepal: 1) Efforts need to be focused on reforming hydropower policies and administration at the national level; 2) Funds for hydropower development need to be increased and sought from a diversity of domestic and foreign private sources; 3) Nepal needs to integrate its energy grid with its South Asian neighbours, starting with India. Areas of strong disagreement include the role of political stability in enabling hydropower development, as well as modes of engagement with Indian, Chinese, and Western partners. Areas of consensus include the need to smoothen land acquisition procedures as well as discomfort with the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority's perceived monopolistic status in the sector. Overall, this study contributes to debates on private sector involvement in hydropower development with a nuanced empirical assessment of views which contain clear visions for an independent and domestically driven future of the country's hydropower sector.
AB - Private sector actors are taking on an increasingly prominent role in energy transitions, including in hydropower development and finance. Yet, there is little empirical research on the topic. This study covers private sector views on accelerating hydropower investment in Nepal, using Q methodology. Three main viewpoints were identified among 17 interviewed hydropower developers, planners, and investors based in Nepal: 1) Efforts need to be focused on reforming hydropower policies and administration at the national level; 2) Funds for hydropower development need to be increased and sought from a diversity of domestic and foreign private sources; 3) Nepal needs to integrate its energy grid with its South Asian neighbours, starting with India. Areas of strong disagreement include the role of political stability in enabling hydropower development, as well as modes of engagement with Indian, Chinese, and Western partners. Areas of consensus include the need to smoothen land acquisition procedures as well as discomfort with the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority's perceived monopolistic status in the sector. Overall, this study contributes to debates on private sector involvement in hydropower development with a nuanced empirical assessment of views which contain clear visions for an independent and domestically driven future of the country's hydropower sector.
KW - Dam finance
KW - Energy transitions
KW - Hydropower development
KW - Nepal
KW - Q methodology
KW - Renewable energy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111851107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.renene.2021.07.138
DO - 10.1016/j.renene.2021.07.138
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85111851107
SN - 0960-1481
VL - 179
SP - 1578
EP - 1588
JO - Renewable Energy
JF - Renewable Energy
ER -
