Energy and Economic Growth: South Asia Policy Workshop

Energy and Economic Growth (EEG) is an applied research program led by Oxford Policy Management (OPM) in partnership with CEGA and the Energy Institute @ Haas. The program is funded by the UK Government through UK Aid. On September 28th, 2016, EEG hosted a South Asia policy workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal (the first regional policy workshop took place in Tanzania in July). The one-day workshop engaged over 50 senior energy policy-makers, researchers, and partners from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as representatives from DFID, USAID, the Asian Development Bank, and the Millenium Challenge Corporation. Through a series of plenary talks and panels, attendees discussed energy challenges facing the region and considered policy relevant research questions that could address these challenges. Topics discussed included approaches to increasing energy access and supply, the role of regional cooperation in optimizing energy security, and the tools policymakers have to promote a well-functioning energy sector. Lessons learned from this workshop will help to inform the EEG research agenda moving forward.