Surge in Nepal’s Electricity Trade Leads to New Net Surplus

KATHMANDU – Nepal’s electricity export earnings leapt to a record 29.32 billion rupees in the 2025‑26 financial year, a 67.96 percent rise over the previous fiscal cycle.

The increase was driven by monsoon‑season surplus generation, lifting total exported electricity to 3.877 billion kilowatt‑hours, up from 2.3829 billion kWh the year before. The average selling price hovered around 7.56 rupees per unit, primarily to India, with Bangladesh receiving power via India’s transmission network.

Import dependence also eased. Nepal’s electricity imports dropped to 1.1498 billion kWh, down 31.57 percent from the prior year, and spending on imports fell to 10.56 billion rupees, an 18.29 percent decline. The net result was an electricity trade surplus of 18.76 billion rupees.

The Nepal Electricity Authority attributes the performance to higher domestic hydropower production, expanded cross‑border transmission lines, and refined power‑management strategies, positioning Nepal as a robust and profitable electricity exporter in South Asia.