New energy authority to be set up

Wasantha Ramanayake

COLOMBO: A Sustainable Energy Authority will be set up to connect around additional 400 MW power generated using alternative sources to the national grid, a Power and Energy Ministry official said.

The new authority would identify and set up small and medium scale power plants using alternative power sources such as bio gas, wood and solar power, the sources said.

Among other important objectives of the Authority were to identify and develop rural power projects in terms of a centralised mechanism to connect them to the national grid and to effectively address the rural electrification issues, the official said.

According to the sources, the new authority would identify entrepreneurs who were already involved in the power generation and would assist them to develop their power projects.