National
Local level to license plants up to 1 MW
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Develop-ment has cleared the way for local governments to award hydropower project developer licence for up to one megawatt and monitor the projects.The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Develop-ment has cleared the way for local governments to award hydropower project developer licence for up to one megawatt and monitor the projects.
The ministry took the decision on Thursday, in line with the constitutional spirit of the three levels of government—federal, provincial and local—sharing the authority of hydropower management.
Local governments could issue project licences for up to 1MW after technical clearance from the Department of Electricity Development. The local councils, however, will not need clearance from the department when they draft laws and policies to govern the hydropower sector.
According to the Local Governance Act-2017, all the 753 local units have authority to permit hydel project development in their areas. “The power to formulate policies, rules and criteria for hydel projects up to 1MW, rests with the local government,” reads Clause 11 of the Act.