Dr Ram Prasad Dhital currently serves as the Chairman of the Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nepal. Dr Dhital is a seasoned Electricity Regulatory and Renewable Energy Professional, Technical Auditor, APMG Certified PPP Professional, and Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in electricity regulation and renewable energy development. He served as  (i) a visiting Professor at KU, (ii) an Advisor to the Infrastructure Committee of the Parliament  and (iii) an Electricity Policy and Regulatory Expert for Asian Development Bank providing advisory services on electricity policies and regulatory issues. His main responsibilities in ADB included establishing a regulatory cell in NEA and helping design generation tariff for storage hydro project  and institutionalizing Dudhkoshi SPV for project development and operation. He also took the lead in developing the transmission pricing and open access guidelines and regulations for Electricity Regulatory Commission through FCDO-supported and PwC-implemented Financial Sector Stability Program.

Dr Dhital has been involved in different aspects of electricity and renewable energy projects including planning, implementation, monitoring, regulation, capacity building, and resource mobilization for making the electricity and energy sector sustainable. During his two and half years of service (May 2019-Dec 2021) as a member responsible for regulatory and external affairs in the newly formed Electricity Regulatory Commission in Nepal, he worked to institutionalize the Commission by taking the lead in developing and implementing key regulatory instruments such as conduction of business rule, PPA and consumer tariff directives, ERC organization and management, administration and financial and internal control directives. Previously he served as the Executive Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Center for a full term of four years (2014-2018) under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation overseeing operations, strategic and technical initiatives in Nepal. His experience as the Energy Advisor and Consultant in the international arena under UNDP Afghanistan, UNDP Yemen, UNDP Fiji,  and AusAID Vanuatu has boosted his knowledge and competencies in the energy sector.

Dr Dhital has been able to utilize this learning at the national level by institutionalizing central renewable energy funds, mobilizing resources (annually USD 55 million) to realize the Nepal government’s renewable energy target and acting as the focal person representing Nepal in international platforms, coordinating and leading a team of 200 professionals, liaising between government agencies, development partners, private sector and civil societies.

He holds a Master’s and Ph.D. in Renewable Energy Engineering. Additionally he has completed regulatory course at the Florence School of Regulation, Italy and the Public Utility Regulatory Course at the University of Florida, USA. He can be reached at ram.dhital@erc.gov.np