Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is preparing for a tighter electricity supply situation this winter as flood damage to hydropower and transmission infrastructure threatens to reduce available generation.

The Bhotekoshi floods have affected hydropower projects and transmission infrastructure in the Trishuli Corridor. While 256 MW of operating hydropower capacity has been forced offline, another 176.1 MW of generation remains uncertain because electricity from affected projects cannot be connected to the national grid due to damaged substations and transmission infrastructure.

The problem comes as Nepal normally shifts from electricity exports during the wet season to imports during the dry winter months, when river flows decline and hydropower generation falls.

India has currently renewed permission for Nepal to import 654 MW through the 400 kV Dhalkebar–Muzaffarpur and 132 kV Tanakpur–Mahendranagar transmission lines until Poush. However, the approved electricity can be imported for only 18 hours a day, with imports restricted during Nepal's evening peak-demand period. India is expected to review the arrangement again in January 2027.

This creates an additional challenge for the NEA because winter demand is typically highest when domestic hydropower output is falling. In previous winters, restrictions on electricity imports from India have also affected Nepal's ability to meet peak demand.

The flood damage has made the situation more complicated. Projects totaling 176.1 MW—including Salasungi (Sanjen), Upper Sanjen, Sanjen, Upper Mailung, Mailung Khola, Buddhabhumi, Suryakunda and Tadi Khola—have not been able to supply the national grid despite the generating facilities themselves not being directly damaged.

The NEA is studying an alternative transmission route from the 220 kV Chilime Hub to the 220 kV Matatirtha Substation to reconnect affected generation to the national grid.

NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha said the authority is preparing multiple options, including additional imports from India, to manage demand as domestic generation declines toward winter. He said the flood-related shutdowns have added pressure but that there should be no load-shedding during the coming winter.

The authority has also formed a five-member committee led by the director of its Bagmati Provincial Office to coordinate winter electricity-demand management. The committee has been instructed to submit daily progress reports and immediately report implementation problems.

The NEA is also working on alternatives to ensure reliable electricity supply in flood-affected Nuwakot and Rasuwa. A field team has been deployed to assess whether the damaged Devighat substation can be brought back into operation.

Nepal's electricity system is therefore entering winter with two simultaneous constraints: lower seasonal hydropower generation and reduced transmission availability following the floods. The NEA's ability to restore damaged infrastructure and secure sufficient imports will determine how much pressure the system faces as winter demand rises.