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“Energy Empowered Nation” The ten-year development plan of the energy sector was launched by the Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe with the invitation of the Minister of power and energy Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka at the Water’s Edge, Battaramulla, with the participation of eminent people in the sector.

With the theme “Energy Empowered Nation” the practical work plan up to 2025 had been formulated by the ministry of power and energy and its affiliated institutions with the contribution of private sector. The planhad focused on 08 thrust areas that have direct impact on the energy sector.

The Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka pointed out that the foundation of the energy plan is the “energy security”. It is crucial for our country as the stability of our country, stability of the energy sector and the basis of our development is highly affected by the “energy security”. A country without “energy security” is a country that is insecure. Such a country cannot achieve stable and sustainable development. Therefore, we must always strive to achieve the energy security. Minister Ranawaka further explained his views on the plans ahead said,

“In the future we are expecting to develop the green energy. Today, the contribution of green energy to the total power generation is about 50%. By 2020 we are expecting to increase the contribution by another 20%. In the meantime we are expecting to provide electricity to the whole population by the end of this year. Further, we expect to minimize the energy wastage and improve the conservation of energy. The dependency of the Transportation sector on fossil fuel has to minimize. Hence we are expecting to establish the first electric vehicle charging station before the “Sinhala new Year”. An issue of “energy debentures” also will be planned with an intention of minimizing the debt burden of the electricity board and petroleum corporation.”

Prime minister Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe speaking in the occasion said that, the country should self-sufficient with energy to establish a knowledge based society. Recalling the introduction of the open economy system in 1977 and the implementation of the integrated Mahaweli scheme, he said those initiatives were taken with the aim of making Sri Lanka self-sufficient in power requirements. Prime Minister further said the people of the country must thankful to minister Ranawaka who understood the necessity of energy requirements and prepared plans accordingly.

Minister of Finance Hon. Ravi Karunanayaka, Minister of Disaster Management Hon. A.H.M.Fawsi, Minister of Urban Development, water supply and drainage Hon. Rauf Hakim, State minister of Plantations Hon. K.Vellayuthan, Hon. Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe Provincial Councilor and Secretaries of the ministries of  power and energy, Finance, Policy planning, children’s affaires, and transportation, and Senior officials of  Ceylon Electricity Board, Lanka Electricity Company(Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon petroleum corporation, and Sri Lanka Sustainable energy authority participated the event.