Hon. Suranga Rathnayaka
2026-02-17
Hon. Suranga Rathnayaka raised concerns about the recently published Draft National Electricity Policy, questioning the adequacy of the five-day public comment period, which falls short of the standard 14-day minimum. He noted that the policy contains only a limited section on renewable energy and appears to prioritize coal and oil-based electricity generation. The speaker asked what measures the relevant Ministry is taking to promote solar and other renewable energy sources, including the necessary battery storage and technical infrastructure to support approximately 1,600 MW of potential solar generation capacity.
Hon. Speaker, last week your Ministry published the Draft National Electricity Policy on your website. Generally, at least 14 days should be given for public comments, but it appears only five days were allowed. There is only a very small section on renewable energy. If about 1,600 MW can be generated from solar, then the necessary batteries and technical requirements must be in place to store it. It seems, however, that preference is being given to obtaining electricity from coal and oil. What steps are you taking to encourage electricity generation using solar—renewable energy?