Preface

The Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP) aims to enhance rural livelihoods and preserve the natural environment by supporting the sustainable development of rural energy systems. One of REDP's strategies for achieving this is to support capacity building of the District Development Committee (DDC) to plan and manage rural energy systems.

Since it began operations in August 1996, REDP has succeeded in working with the DDCs to incorporate bottom-up energy planning as an integral and important component of the district planning process. The district energy planning process yielded impressive results. The DDCs are preparing energy plan and programs. This plan encompasses both planning and implementation of energy systems and also incorporates the energy and environment related activities of district level organizations such as the District Forest Office, District Soil Conservation Office, District Cottage and Small Industries Development Office, Nepal Electricity Authority, Agricultural Development Bank, Center for Rural Technology and Community Based Economic Development Programme. REDP has gained a lot of experience in decentralized energy planning through implementation of its concepts in the programme districts.

This Guidelines is based on the field experience of 10 District Development Committee: Rural Energy Development Sections (DDC: REDSs) in decentralized energy planning. The concepts and procedures have been tried out and yielded positive results. REDP will continue to make improvements in the energy planning process and hopes to have in place an energy planning process that can be replicated widely.

We have received valuable inputs and suggestions from a number of individuals and institutions in the preparation of this Guidelines. Our sincere thanks goes to Mr. Suman Basnet, Energy Development Advisor, who has worked hard to prepare this guidelines. We would also like to thank the then Assistant Resident Representative of United Nations Development Programme Mr. Manoj Basnyat, who has provided us with much input as well as his whole-hearted support in this endeavor. We would also like to express our gratitude to the members of DDCs and District Energy Committees (DECs) of our programme districts. We have also received many valuable inputs from the community members and officials of the Community Organizations and Functional Groups from our programme Village Development Committees. We express our heartfelt appreciation to them. Last but not the least, we would like to thank the District Development Committee: Rural Energy Development Section (DDC: REDS) staff as well as the REDP staff in the central office for their valuable comments, suggestions and support.

We hope that this Guidelines will be useful to all institutions and individuals working in the rural energy sector.

Kiran Man Singh
National Programme Manager