Tug-of-war between Solar and Coal power backers

The ongoing power outage crisis has ignited a heated tug-of-war between solar energy proponents and coal power backers, each blaming the other while consumers remain in the dark. The recent islandwide blackout, which took longer than expected to restore, has once again brought the country's energy policies under scrutiny.

According to energy expert, advisor, and former Renewable Energy Ministry member Asoka Abeygunawardana, the primary cause of both recent and past blackouts has been the failure of the country’s three coal power plants. He refuted claims made by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) engineers that rooftop solar power users were to blame, emphasizing that solar users contribute energy to the main grid rather than depleting it.

CEB engineers argue that the increasing adoption of rooftop solar panels has caused instability in the power grid. They claim that since solar energy production fluctuates depending on sunlight availability, sudden drops in solar generation force the grid to rely heavily on conventional sources like coal. This unexpected demand shift, they say, strains the system and contributes to blackouts. Additionally, they assert that solar energy disrupts the traditional grid balance because it injects power intermittently, making it harder to regulate overall supply and demand effectively.

Abeygunawardana, however, pointed out that the blackout was primarily caused by issues on the demand side and the CEB’s failure to implement necessary preventive measures. He traced the problem back to the 1990s when the first coal power plant proposal was made. The establishment of coal power plants, he argued, was a result of poor planning rather than a strategic energy policy aligned with global trends, which have leaned toward renewable energy for over two decades.

"The coal power plant system is now unreliable and difficult to maintain. The decision to introduce coal power plants to Sri Lanka was a grave mistake by CEB planners. As the country moves towards strengthening its renewable energy sector, coal power plants are becoming increasingly incompatible with national energy goals," he stated.

He further highlighted that if energy generation had been planned using liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, they would have been more compatible with the renewable energy transition. Unfortunately, such a shift never materialized. Instead, the CEB’s generation plan has continued to focus predominantly on coal power, even projecting its expansion up to 2040 based on outdated assumptions about global energy trends.

Another significant flaw, according to Abeygunawardana, lies in the transmission infrastructure. "The transmission lines were built to carry electricity exclusively from coal power plants and not from renewable sources. This short-sighted decision has made it difficult to integrate stable renewable energy into the grid effectively. Had the authorities planned for actual energy demand, the current solar power capacity could have been seamlessly incorporated into the system without disruptions," he explained.

This debate underscores the urgent need for Sri Lanka to reassess its energy policies. With renewable energy gaining momentum globally, a transition away from coal toward a more sustainable, integrated energy system appears inevitable. The question remains whether policymakers will take decisive action before another blackout plunges the nation into darkness once more