Nepal met its national peak electricity demand of 1,813 megawatts (MW) on Laxmi Puja evening while exporting about 587.3 MW to India, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
The peak was recorded at 6:15 pm. The total load on the power system reached about 2,400 MW, and the NEA reported no supply interruptions.
The 587.3 MW export figure is the rate of power flowing across the border at that moment.
Laxmi Puja is the most electricity-intensive day of Tihar, when homes, shops and public spaces are lit with decorative lights.
Demand rises again
This year’s peak is higher than the 1,745 MW recorded on Laxmi Puja last year. It is up from 1,305 MW in 2022, 1,438 MW in 2023 and 1,602 MW in 2024. Peak demand has risen about 38.9 percent since 2022, and by 68 MW, or about 3.9 percent, since 2025.
Kathmandu Valley recorded a peak of 489 MW, compared with 402 MW last year, an increase of about 21.6 percent.
Where the power came from
Independent power producers supplied 1,536 MW at the peak. NEA subsidiary companies supplied 499 MW, run-of-river and semi-reservoir projects 342 MW, and reservoir projects 22.3 MW. Together these account for about 2,399.3 MW.
Many factories reduce operations or close during Tihar, which lowers industrial demand even as household use rises.
Flood damage still affects capacity
About 450 MW of generation capacity in the Rasuwa region remained unavailable after recent natural disasters. A glacially triggered flash flood and debris flow struck the Rasuwagadhi border area on Aug 26 and affected Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading.
The World Bank’s assessment of the floods found that seven operating hydropower projects with a combined 256.1 MW were affected, along with five projects under construction totalling 395.02 MW and a 25 MW solar facility.
Transmission damage disrupted another 149.6 MW. The World Bank put the total affected generation and transmission capacity at about 430.7 MW, around 10.6 percent of Nepal’s installed hydropower and solar capacity in fiscal year 2025-26.
India approved electricity exports to Nepal of up to 654 MW for 18 hours a day from Sept 13 to Dec 31. The approval covers up to 600 MW through the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV line and up to 54 MW through the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV line. The quantity from January 2027 is due for review in December.
From load-shedding to exports
Nepal’s power cuts reached about 18 hours a day in 2009. In 2016, the NEA ran a campaign to provide uninterrupted supply in Kathmandu Valley on Laxmi Puja. Scheduled load-shedding ended nationwide in May 2018, and Nepal began exporting surplus electricity to India in 2021.
Nepal became a net exporter in fiscal year 2024-25, exporting about 2,380 million units and importing about 1,680 million units, according to NEA figures.
In fiscal year 2025-26, the NEA’s annual report shows export earnings of about Rs 29.32 billion from sales to India and Bangladesh, up from about Rs 17.45 billion the year before. Import spending was Rs 10.56 billion, leaving a net surplus of Rs 18.76 billion. Exports that year were about 3,817 million units to India and 148 million units to Bangladesh. Installed generation capacity stood at about 4,120 MW.
The Ministry of Energy’s progress report shows Rs 16.15 billion in export revenue in the first three months of fiscal year 2026-27, from July 17 to Oct 17.
Cross-border capacity
In July, Nepal and India agreed to raise transfer capacity on the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur and Dhalkebar-Sitamarhi 400 kV lines to up to 1,400 MW for imports and up to 1,650 MW for exports.
A long-term power trade agreement signed in January 2024 envisages Nepal exporting up to 10,000 MW to India over ten years. That is a target, and it depends on new generation, transmission and approvals.
Seasonal gap remains
Nepal’s output is highest in the monsoon, from June to November, when river flows rise. In the dry season from December to May, run-of-river plants generate less and Nepal may need to import power from India.
The NEA has not announced what imports will be needed this winter. India’s decision on import approvals from January 2027 is due after a review in December, and repairs to flood-damaged projects and transmission lines in Rasuwa are still to be completed.
