The Nepali government has introduced a new rural energy policy aiming at providing access of clean energy to the rural population and reducing their dependency on traditional energy sources including woods.

According to local Nepal Samacharpatra daily on Sunday, the Council of Ministers recently endorsed the policy that aims at generating employment and enhancing livelihood of rural people through the development of rural energy and linking it with social and economic activities.

The policy has defined small and micro-hydropower, biogas, bio- energy, solar and wind energy, improved oven and rural electrification as key clean energy options for them, said an official at the Alternative Energy Promotion Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The government will promote the private institutions working for generating electricity through micro hydro plants and distributing them, according the policy.

The policy also aims to carry out research on biogas, expand solar energy coverage institutionally and prepare master plan for wind energy utilization.

Source: Xinhua