It was yesterday that the minister of power touched on the point of imminent power cuts. And today from 11AM to 1PM there was a power outage. Was this the beginning of the power cuts? This is how it all started in 2019. Even if this is not the case, the 2020 power cuts are coming for sure, and will come in a recurring fashion every year new power plants are introduced. How ever a friend of mine Udara Logus, attached to transmission at CEB said, the power cuts might not be as bad as last year.

History

Prior to 1964 all of the nations power requirements were fulfilled using hydro power. Then came the Kalanithissa Power Station, the nations first thermal power plant. For most of Sri Lankan modern history, it has been in a danger zone, where the power generation abilities have not had sufficient headroom to absorb failure or increase in demand. Last year a failure in the Lakwijaya Power Station (at Norocholai) triggered the power cuts. If I am correct it has been in work in progress until end of last year.

The government under the previous Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe tried to start new power plants. But the people, including the Archbishop Malcom Ranjith, opposed new thermal power plants. In the last years of the previous government, the then Minister of Power and Energy Ravi Karunanayake tried to commission gas plants which again met with confrontation.

The then opposition, the current government, fueled the opposition. The nations savior "sir" promised not to start any new coal power plants in his election manifesto. So good luck Sri Lanka. Welcome to the dark ages!