The Hon. Roshan Akmeemana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, given the many technical issues raised in this debate on the Adjournment Motion regarding renewable energy, I wish to focus my time on a different facet. Energy is not merely a technical matter; “energy is power and power shapes society.” It is a political and social phenomenon. From the dawn of fossil fuel usage, energy projects have been intertwined with control over resources—oil and coal—and their geopolitics.

¶ 02 History reminds us: the Native American struggles over the Dakota Access Pipeline; the Ogoni people’s struggles in Nigeria against Shell; Chevron’s damage in the Amazon; ExxonMobil’s issues in Papua New Guinea; and how the US and EU sanctioned access to energy markets in countries like Venezuela, Vietnam and Iran. Energy is geopolitical. Therefore, we cannot discuss Sri Lanka’s renewable future by only addressing technology; we must consider political and social dimensions.

¶ 03 There is a global trend toward renewables. About 29 percent of the world’s energy needs are currently met by renewables. In Sri Lanka, solar and wind together supply around 7 percent. The transition is imperative. It is not only an environmental necessity; it is an opportunity to dismantle global dominance built through control of energy.

¶ 04 Global capital has consolidated control over energy sources; a few countries control oil markets and prices, imposing dominance over the periphery. Our shift to renewables is an opportunity to break free from this hegemony. When our dollar reserves fell, we could not import fuel; queues formed; the government collapsed; larger powers—especially India and China—gained leverage over our politics, and we had to accept conditionalities, including those of the IMF. Thus, the renewable transition is our chance to escape the geopolitical trap.

¶ 05 We spend over a billion dollars a year importing fuel and coal for electricity—roughly 8–10 percent of total export earnings just for electricity fuel inputs. Our total oil import bill is even higher. Our energy demand is projected to grow about 5 percent annually up to 2040 alongside economic growth. Hydropower cannot be expanded much further. Therefore, if we are to secure energy sovereignty and move beyond global dominance, we must advance solar and wind. The Trincomalee District, which I represent, is recognized as having some of Asia’s greatest potential. Hence our focus.

¶ 06 By 2040, we expect around four million tourist arrivals. Currently, about 5 percent of national electricity goes to tourism. If we expand tourism, its energy demand will also rise. If we remain dependent on fossil fuels and coal, our foreign reserves will deplete quickly. Therefore, we propose to develop the entire Eastern coastline—from Batticaloa and Pasikuda to Trincomalee—through green energy, establishing a Green Energy Tourism Zone. We must form a national consensus: we need energy sovereignty. Renewables are a tool used by countries to free themselves from global market pressures. China is rapidly transitioning. We too have large potential: wind in Mannar and Puttalam; solar across the Eastern Province including Trincomalee. Failure to seize this opportunity is to forfeit our chance at energy sovereignty and independence from pressure by powerful states. In our tourism plans, I strongly emphasize using renewables.

¶ 07 In Trincomalee, we have a special plan to develop tourism along ecotourism and rural tourism lines, providing greater incentives to investors who use renewables, thereby promoting green tourism.

¶ 08 As the renewable share grows, we must address “energy democracy”: who owns generation and who controls distribution? We believe access at the grassroots should be expanded. A degree of collective ownership is needed, and state involvement to regulate and steer toward national goals. That is why we retain a 50 percent stake in the Sampur Solar Park—so that the state ensures fairness and access, rather than simply selling projects to private investors.

¶ 09 An experience from my district: under the previous government, when Ranil Wickremesinghe was President and C. V. Vigneswaran? (Governor) or S. C. T. (S. Thondaman) served as Governor, large tracts of land in Trincomalee were allocated for solar projects merely by looking at maps. When investors visited, they found people living there and cultivating. That is not how we transition. Historically, fossil fuel access involved land grabs, displacement, and environmental destruction. Our renewable transition must correct that history—not repeat it. If we destroy environments and dispossess communities, we move backward, not forward.

¶ 10 As a government, by 2030 we aim for 60–70 percent from renewables; by 2040, up to 90 percent. In pursuing these numeric goals, we must also ensure just ownership, control, and equitable access. That is why we have rejected certain projects with unfair terms or geopolitical pressure.

¶ 11 In scaling solar and wind, we must proceed on a democratic foundation, strengthening our economic and energy independence. I conclude with that reminder.

¶ 12 Thank you.