The study aims to present the analysis of Economic Distance Limit (EDL) of conventional grid extension and some renewable energy systems for Gorkha District based on Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis. The study is an attempt to prepare a framework for the evaluation of a least cost electricity master plan which may be applied to other districts in future. An analytical tool has been followed to carry out the least cost electrification planning. The least cost planning has been done for the load forecast for the 5th year, which is 965 kW in aggregate. Accordingly, to meet this demand, it has been assumed that there will be 40 numbers of 25 kVA transformers feeding the settlements in the study Village Development Committee (VDCs), and an alternative option of electrifying these villages will consist of 40 Micro-Hydro Power plants (MHPs) of 25 kW capacities each. The result shows that extension from the existing grid points up to additional 22.41 km (economic distance limit, or EDL) is more economical than supplying through the installation of MHPs. A similar comparison was attempted with grid vs commercial scale solar photovoltaic (PV) for a theoretical load of 25 kW; the EDL for grid-extension has been worked out to be 47.96 km with battery storage. Furthermore, the costs of low voltage lines have not been included in comparison assuming they are common costs to both options. Reliability from the grid supply, MHPs and commercial solar PV has been assumed to be similar.

This paper discusses the key issues related to the supply-and demand-side options for the improvement of the environmental performance of the electricity sector in 10 countries of Asia. It also discusses the growth of the electricity sector and its contribution in the total emission ofpollutants from the use of commercial energy in the selected countries.In recent years, the Asian region, after South America, has recorded the highest growth rate of electricity consumption in the world. In most of the countries of Asia, electricity consumption has been growing more rapidly than the consumption of non-electric energy. Due to that growth the development of the electricity sector is expected to play an increasing role in regional and global environmental changes.The development of the power sector in most of the countries of the region has so far proceeded without paying much attention to its environmental implications. Such a course of development, however, seems difficult to continue in the face of the growing degradation of environmental quality (at least at the local level) in many parts of the region and also the increasing public awareness of environmental problems. Electricity planners and policy-makers are thus increasingly faced with the problem of allocating scarce capital resources for the development of the power sector in a manner that is less harmful to society and the physical environment.