The Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Mr. Deputy Speaker, at the time of adjournment, I move: “Whereas it is national policy to obtain 70% of Sri Lanka’s electricity needs from renewable energy, and whereas over 1,500 MW of solar power has already been added to the grid through the ‘Soorya Bala Sangramaya’, and whereas solar power is the principal renewable source that can be added to the national grid as a low-cost and environmentally friendly option, and whereas over the past years ordinary citizens and the business community have invested significantly in the solar sector, yet the CEB and LECO are acting directly and indirectly to discourage the addition of solar to the grid, and whereas the Government has shown no interest in providing necessary technical solutions for integrating solar to the national grid, this Parliament urges the Government to: immediately provide the technical solutions needed to promote renewable energy, particularly solar power; and to immediately suspend measures already taken and proposed that discourage solar power.”

¶ 02 Renewables are vital to development, continuous low-cost supply, and national energy security. As the Minister who launched the “Soorya Bala Sangramaya” on 6 September 2016, I emphasize that apart from tourism, solar has been one of the fastest-growing sectors. Private citizens and institutions have invested over USD 500 million—some estimate near USD 1 billion—adding over 1,500 MW to the system without Government borrowing. Today 103,800 consumers have rooftop solar—about one in 60 households. Rooftop totals about 1,548 MW, and ground-mounted about 174 MW—roughly 1,700 MW combined. If we care about our future and environment, we must develop wind and solar. I focus today on solar.

¶ 03 At a time we should be facilitating solar, while the President’s policy statement promises its promotion, the current Government and subject Minister have submitted Cabinet Paper No. 36/2025/8 dated 18.03.2025 to discourage solar and private investors. Using unrealistic formulas and numbers, they cite “grid imbalances” as a pretext. I challenge the Minister to justify why ground-mounted solar is to be paid Rs. 19.27 per unit while solar above 1 MW gets Rs. 14.46. Rooftop solar reduces transmission losses by consuming near the point of generation and should be incentivized, not discouraged. The industry has over 1,000 registered companies; about 645 active firms employ around 40,000 from engineers to technicians. Unstated directives at CEB and LECO are slowing or blocking approvals, threatening jobs.

¶ 04 We all knew rapid additions could create imbalances; the solution is technical—grid upgrades, storage, proper controls—not strangling solar. The February nationwide outage was due to system control issues and delayed response, not a “monkey”. Our grid quality historically has been high by regional standards thanks to generations of engineers. But the future is renewables: protecting environment, saving forex, strengthening private enterprise, and empowering citizens to generate their own power. What steps has the Government taken to expand capacity, accelerate the ADB-supported grid enhancement for wind and solar integration, and improve relations with ADB which have reportedly declined? We must act with vision, not narrow accounting.

¶ 05 Projects like the 100 MW Siyambalanduwa solar plant are delayed—land issues and transmission lines remain unresolved. Treat energy development as nationally vital; invest in smartness and storage, and expand transmission. I urge withdrawal of regressive Cabinet papers and circulars, consult all knowledgeable parties, ensure the lowest-cost continuous supply, protect 40,000 solar-sector jobs, sustain investor confidence, and enable citizens’ pride in self-generation and environmental protection.

¶ 06 Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.