Hope Looms

It is certainly a relief to know that Kasturi Trade Link and Hydro Air are planning to initiate a project to generate electricity from valley’s garbage within two years amidst the on-going energy crisis. Although the generation capacity is limited to 3 MW in the early phases of production; the consequences are far reaching than just the scale of production in my view. According to my first view, the switch towards alternative energy sources is indeed essential given our excess reliance in hydro coupled with a poor track record in developing hydropower projects as anticipated. My second line of thought states that people will now no longer perceive garbage as just a ‘waste’ but instead a resource with immense value attached.
Generating energy from waste can be an alternative source of renewable energy in the country with some potential to mitigate the ongoing power crisis. The success will depend upon the importance attached to such technology in the national and municipal policy framework. We have to ensure that we are eventually burning waste to produce energy and not burning money instead.
To read the rest of the article published in 'The Kathmandu Post', please follow the link here: http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/02/19/editorial/waste-not-want-not/218613.html

Policies Without Directions

The establishment of the Ministry of Energy as a separate ministerial entity also installed high hopes across the nation. The country believed that the energy sector deadlocks would eventually get a proper impasse with a distinct energy ministry in place. While the customers hopes have gained greater heights in recent times; the sectoral deadlocks is deepening with no immediate signs of easing up. Given the importance of the energy sector for a country experiencing a systemic change; the logic of such segregation is vindicated on the grounds that the acute energy concerns can receive the much-needed priorities. Unfortunately, the practice is no longer in harmony with the theory prompting me to raise two major questions here. Firstly, is the current sectoral performance an improvement from the previous performances under an integrated energy ministry? Secondly, are the taxpayers funding the energy ministry largely benefitting from the service that is being currently rendered to them? The answers are certainly not pleasing as I have been arguing in my previous articles which justify an analysis into this issue.
To read the rest of the article published in The Kathmandu Post, please follow the link:http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/02/02/oped/out-of-energy/217981.html