Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the government of undermining Sri Lanka’s solar power sector, alleging that recent policy changes favour fuel and thermal generation at the expense of renewables.
Premadasa made the claims during a visit to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Newswire reported. His central objection was the decision to discontinue Net Metering and Net Accounting for new rooftop solar connections and route new agreements to the Net Plus scheme instead.
He alleged the change had strengthened what he called a “fuel and thermal power plant mafia,” despite the government publicly championing renewable energy, and said approvals for solar projects had been arbitrarily suspended.
The figures he cited
Premadasa argued that generating 2,500 MW of solar power could save the country around Rs. 25 billion. Both numbers are his own claims, made during the visit, and are not independently established.
On tariffs, he said rates had fallen from Rs. 37 to about Rs. 27 per unit before being cut further. PUCSL records show the flat rooftop solar tariff for systems up to 500 kW was Rs. 37 per unit from October 2022 and was revised to Rs. 27.06 from July 2024; newer tariffs vary by system capacity rather than applying as a single flat rate.
He argued that lower tariffs and the reworked rooftop framework would deter investment and hurt entrepreneurs and young professionals in the sector.
The dispute so far
The charge lands in an argument that has been running for weeks. The National Chamber warned in September that new directives put solar-sector jobs at risk. Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake rejected the curtailment claims as “entirely baseless” on Saturday, saying 1,513 MW of solar had been added over two years. The Environment Ministry said on Monday that renewable projects clear environmental assessments before approval.
The underlying policy shift is real and separately documented: the Sunday Times reported on 27 September that the move to Net Plus leaves rooftop solar consumers worse off, according to industry experts.
No verified newsroom had filed its own account of Premadasa’s PUCSL visit at the time of writing, and the government has not responded to these specific allegations.
