"We cannot keep a fourth of our population without electricity forever. Therefore capacity addition to the electricity generation systems is a must".

By Don Asoka Wijewardena

Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne said the long-term electricity generation expansion plan prepared by the CEB had not been properly implemented during the last two decades resulting in urgent and somewhat erroneous decisions being taken leading to the heavy dependence on oil for power generation. As a result, he said, the entire nation was paying a heavy price for lack of courage of decision-makers.

He said the country was blessed with rain harvest which allowed nearly 100 per cent power generation through hydro resources in the past. At present 65 percent of power generation was from thermal power plants and the electricity demand of the country was increasing from 8 per cent to 10 per cent. A constructive plan had been formulated to provide electricity to all people in 2017.

Seneviratne said that the energy sector was gripped by the effect of expenditure on oil imports, plunging the CEB and Petroleum Corporation into a deep crisis situation. The government was steadily moving in the right direction to reduce dependence on oil for power generation.

via…The Island