During the last week of March 2020, all four BBIN countries in South Asia imposed major restrictions and began unprecedented lockdowns in order to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdowns led to an unprecedented crash in electricity demand and a wide gap opening up between the electricity available and demand.

This Energy Insight discusses the perceived vulnerabilities/risks, the impact and challenges of the operation of electricity grids, and the lessons learnt from this major outbreak.