Nepal, Aug. 25 -- Nepal's hydropower potential is often touted as one of the highest per-capita power production in the world, boasting a theoretical potential of approximately 83,000 megawatts, of which around 43,000 are considered technically and economically feasible. Yet, with a total installed generation capacity of 4,200 megawatts and domestic demand hovering around 2,000 to 2,200 megawatts, the nation continues to struggle to exploit its potential.

In the last fiscal year, Nepal earned a record-high Rs29.32 billion from exporting electricity to India and Bangladesh. However, the current production and export model is fundamentally unsustainable as it remains heavily reliant on selling volatile monsoon surplus while importing power...