Regulator approves CEB’s interim measures to avert power crisis

Sri Lanka’s power regulator has said it would consider the interim measures put forward by the CEB to avert a power crisis, but at the same time rejected the Least Cost Long Term Generation Plan (LCLTGEP formulated by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in 2015 and the framework base case plan submitted in July this year. 

In a letter addressed to the CEB General Manager earlier this month, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said the Commission was not in a position to approve the LCLTGEP plan in full and implied the document lacked necessary justification.

It was also pointed out that the plan did not demonstrate that due consideration for the areas mentioned by the PUCSL in a letter to the CEB dated 18 December 2015. Meanwhile, the base case plan, without the coal power plants, was rejected due to a number of reasons which included the absence of data for evaluation, and the ‘Least Cost Scenario’ not being “visible”.
“No justification is provided for submitting a new plan (2017-2018 base plan) instead of the plan for the period 2015-2034 on which the commission’s directive was issued and the stakeholder consultation has already been carried out by the commission,” PUC said.