Rationalizing donations and subsidies: Energy ecosystem development for sustainable renewable energy transition in Nepal
Article
Article Title | Rationalizing donations and subsidies: Energy ecosystem development for sustainable renewable energy transition in Nepal |
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ERA Journal ID | 32863 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Bhattarai, Utsav, Maraseni, Tek, Apan, Armando and Devkota, Laxmi Prasad |
Journal Title | Energy Policy |
Journal Citation | 177 |
Article Number | 113570 |
Number of Pages | 10 |
Year | 2023 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0301-4215 |
1873-6777 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113570 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421523001556 |
Abstract | Donor-driven research and implementations in renewable energy (RE) might not necessarily resonate with the physical, social, economic and political settings of the developing world. We take a developing South Asian country – Nepal – to examine why solar and wind technologies have failed despite tremendous donor-support and subsidies during the last three decades. We combine extensive literature review, expert interviews and own readings from our two decades-long professional career in the RE sector of Nepal to arrive at rational conclusions. Almost all past internationally funded and government-subsidized off-grid solar and wind energy projects failed upon discontinuation of funds. Furthermore, the pristine Himalayan environment was forced to bear the burden of hazardous waste management. Nepal, being one of the best countries for hydropower, should concentrate on this technology. The suitability, convenient availability of other feasible alternatives and social acceptance decides the fate of technologies. Donations/subsidies need to be better utilized by developing a bottom-up “ecosystem” fostering new technologies to be a part of the energy mix sustainably. Through this paper, we provide specific recommendations for the use of donations and subsidies in the RE sector which have been drawn from the Nepal case but are applicable to the Global South in general. |
Keywords | Donor-driven technologies; Government subsidies; Renewable energy; Solar; Wind; Hydropower |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410402. Environmental assessment and monitoring |
Public Notes | File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author. |
Byline Affiliations | Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems |
Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment | |
Water Modeling Solutions, Nepal | |
School of Surveying and Built Environment | |
University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines | |
Nepal Academy of Science and Technology |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/yzzxx/rationalizing-donations-and-subsidies-energy-ecosystem-development-for-sustainable-renewable-energy-transition-in-nepal
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