Two Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Engineers have filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal, seeking a ‘Stay’ order on the implementation of the country’s long term power generation plan.

The move follows a dispute between the CEB and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the country’s power sector regulator, over the generation plan approved by the latter.

The petition, filed on October 19, names 11 respondents. Those named include senior officials of the PUCSL, CEB, the Ministry of Power & Renewable Energy, and its Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

The petitioners argue that 1st respondent, PUCSL, has neglected and failed to comply with procedural requirements, when approving the CEB’s Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) 2018-2037. The petitioners further allege that the 1st respondent had also acted arbitrarily by amending the generation plan without first consulting the transmission licensee; the CEB, and forcing conditions of its own on the CEB regarding the plan. They argue that the 1st respondent has no powers whatsoever to do so.

The petitioners also claim that, the PUCSL and its officials had acted with ulterior motives to discredit coal power generating plants and promote Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) plants.

The petitioners are seeking an interim injunction staying the decision document of the PUCSL on the implementation of the LCLTGEP 2018-2037, until the final determination of their application.

The petition is due to be taken up for hearing on Tuesday.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/171126/news/ceb-engineers-file-writ-application-against-pucsl-270168.html