-Chula Goonasekera and Ranjan de Silva on behalf of the LEADS Forum
(Lanka-e-News -10.April.2026, 23.25 PM) We are now paying the price for electing successive governments that, with their oligarchic advisers, promoted continued dependence on imported fossil fuels for personal gain rather than national interest. This has been reinforced by repeated tariff hikes, resulting in an unfair transfer of the burden of systemic policy failures onto households and businesses, undermining productivity solely due to high energy costs.
This model of passing the buck is not only economically unsustainable but also socially unjust and strategically dangerous for a country that has already experienced deep crises linked to fuel and energy shortages.
Sri Lanka must reduce its external dependence by pursuing a decisive, long-term shift towards low-cost energy by moving away from entrenched interests and investing in domestically generated renewable sources—solar, wind, hydropower, biofuel, hydrogen, and emerging technologies—rather than continuing to rely on volatile and expensive imports. This is not merely an environmental preference; it is an economic, geopolitical, and public health imperative that directly affects the country's economic development, cost of living, industrial competitiveness, and national resilience.
It is also time to empower the public to play a direct role in this transition. During periods of prolonged power outages—sometimes lasting more than 12 hours—the government offered incentives to homeowners to adopt local power-generation methods and to supply surplus energy back to the national grid. This approach proved effective, as individuals invested in their own systems, such as solar panels and small-scale hydropower solutions.
Such initiatives should now be expanded. Homeowners should be encouraged not only to generate renewable energy but also to store it, enabling surplus power to be fed back into the grid during peak demand periods, including at night. In addition, renewable energy users should be supported through targeted incentives. These could include tax reductions, subsidies, or one-off grants for adopting renewable technologies, as well as incentives for electric vehicles, agricultural equipment, and local manufacturing. This approach would accelerate the transition without requiring excessive direct government expenditure or complex central planning. In recent times, lifting the ban on the import of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles has been a mistake.
Our people understand the urgency of this situation and are willing to contribute. What is needed now is decisive leadership—one that moves away from reliance on oligarchic advisers who have shaped the current system, and instead embraces a sustainable, inclusive, and forward-looking energy strategy.
A small nation can adopt several practical methods and incentives to promote citizen-led renewable energy generation:
* Feed-in Tariffs: Guarantee a fixed price for electricity supplied to the national grid, encouraging investment in solar, wind, and small-scale hydropower.
* Net Billing: Allow households to offset electricity bills by exporting surplus power.
* Installation Support: Provide partial funding for solar panels, batteries, and micro-hydro systems, particularly for low- and middle-income households, with repayment through surplus energy supplied to the grid.
* Low-Interest Loans: Offer government-backed financing for renewable installations, repayable through energy savings.
* Tax Reductions and Exemptions: Remove import duties and VAT on renewable equipment and provide tax credits for adopters.
* Support for Local Manufacturing: Incentivise domestic production of solar panels, batteries, and components to reduce costs, create jobs, and foster innovation.
* Electric Vehicle Incentives: Introduce tax reductions for EVs and charging infrastructure.
* Energy Storage Incentives: Encourage household battery systems to enable supply during peak demand periods.
* Community Energy Projects: Promote shared solar and wind farms owned by local communities.
* Simplified Approval Processes: Fast-track permits for rooftop solar and small-scale systems.
* Standardised Contracts: Create simple, transparent agreements for selling electricity to the national grid.
* Anti-Monopoly Measures: Prevent large players from blocking small-scale entrants.
* Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate citizens on cost savings and environmental benefits.
* Demonstration and Publicity: Showcase successful households and communities.
* Training and Skills Development: Build local expertise through programmes at universities and technical institutes.
* Increase allocations for R&D to universities and other institutions engaged in research to develop new energy sources. For example, the use of thorium—found locally—as an alternative to uranium for nuclear energy generation. Countries such as India and China have already initiated research programmes in this field.
In conclusion, a small nation such as Sri Lanka must move away from politico-economic doctrines that have been tried and failed in other countries, such as Russia and China, and urgently shift from a centralised energy system to a model in which citizens become energy producers—“prosumers”. The government should act as an enabler rather than merely a supplier, promoting local innovation that could benefit the wider region, many parts of which remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels.
on behalf of the LEADS Forum
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by (2026-04-10 18:02:36)
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