Consequently, water would have to be discharged, undermining the economic feasibility of the HPPs, compromising private investment and posing financial risks to the Government. Given hydropower’s central role in the country’s development, streamlining exploitation and aligning with domestic needs and export capacity will help to maximize the value of the resource. More diverse supply of energy resources would reduce overall system risk by reducing exposure to individual technolog)' failure. Investing in coal-fired power plants could profoundly change the structure of the energy sector in Tajikistan. The addition of thermal resources would secure reliable winter power, help balance the variability of the existing hydropower system, and introduce possible system optimization between thermal and hydro services for further system stability and cost savings.