Electricity, renewables, irregularities and resignations

Dr. Siyambalapitiya

- Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda

The recent and sudden resignation of Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya from the position of Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is regrettable.

As an Engineer, he has been a source of knowledge especially in the planning of Sri Lanka's future energy expansion. On the few occasions that I have heard Dr Siyambalapitiya speak, he was critical of the fact that successive governments have shown a lack of interest in implementing the plans that have been proposed by knowledgeable experts. A serious omission is the non-inclusion of renewables in the plans, which seem concerned only with the coal and oil options. Worldwide, the drive is towards expansion of the potential for biomass, solar and wind energy, and away from coal and oil. These two sources are expected to be exhausted in a matter of decades while the renewables will continue to be available. They are also much more “environment friendly.”