The decision to exclude coal from Sri Lanka’s Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) 2018- 2037 by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka is not only a massive victory for the environment, but also a win for good governance in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s interest in building coal power capacity and establishing new power plants was a myopic and regressive in light of the global shift away from coal power, even in heavily industrialized countries such as China
Yesterday EFL presented comments and recommendations on the Long Term Generation Expansion Plan for 2018 – 2037 (LTGEP) at the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka’s (PUCSL) public consultation event at the BMICH. EFL Chairman, Dr. Eric Wikramanayake noted that the inclusion of coal power in this plan, amongst other fossil fuel sources, meant that it was not aligned with other government targets of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2030. Coal power plants cause notable environmental impacts, from air pollution due
The proliferation of lucrative yet often ill-planned and destructive mini hydro power plants in the wet zone region has been a serious environmental and social concern, as these projects can destroy endemically rich and biodiverse habitats in fragmented forest patches, while causing problems with the water supply for neighbouring settlements. EFL investigated many cases of destructive mini hydropower plants, including a project on the Koskulana River, bordering Sinharaja Forest Reserve which eventually led to litigation against the project developers. In
