COLOMBO, October 20, 2026 — Former Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has demanded an independent investigation into the October 17 power failure, alleging that restrictions on rooftop solar generation could benefit business interests close to the Government.
Former Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has called for an independent investigation into Saturday’s nationwide electricity blackout, questioning whether commercial interests could influence the Government’s handling of the power failure and its approach to rooftop solar energy.
Ranawaka, an engineer and former Cabinet minister, alleged that the authorities might seek to conceal the circumstances behind the October 17 outage, which disrupted electricity supplies across Sri Lanka and forced the National System Operator (NSO) to undertake an extensive restoration operation.
He questioned how a nationwide grid failure could occur despite the establishment of a sophisticated digital system control centre at Pelawatta.
The former minister also suggested that the blackout could be used to discourage households and businesses from generating electricity through rooftop solar installations, potentially benefiting two businessmen whom he accused of enjoying preferential treatment in the renewable energy sector.
His allegations have not been independently substantiated. No evidence has been presented establishing that the outage was deliberately caused, that the Government intended to suppress rooftop solar generation, or that the two unnamed businessmen were involved in the incident.
Questions Over the Pelawatta Control Centre
Ranawaka questioned the effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s electricity system management arrangements, arguing that the availability of a modern, digitised control facility should enable authorities to identify and respond to serious disturbances.
He maintained that an outage of this magnitude required a transparent technical explanation rather than speculation or statements that failed to establish the underlying cause.
The October 17 disruption began at approximately 11.40 a.m., when instability in the electricity system interrupted supplies across the island.
Power was progressively restored, with the NSO subsequently reporting that full restoration had been completed within approximately 10 hours.
Initial reports raised the possibility of a disturbance at the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Station, although the NSO later disputed reports of mechanical failures at generating plants.
It also clarified that the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant had been shut down in accordance with normal procedures during the incident.
As of the initial official announcements on October 18, the precise cause had not been established.
The NSO said a formal investigation would be undertaken and a preliminary report submitted to the Ministry of Energy within the following days.
Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka also announced plans for an expert committee to examine the circumstances of the blackout.
Ranawaka’s demand goes further by calling for an inquiry sufficiently independent to address concerns about transparency and possible commercial interests.
Former Minister Challenges Previous Blackout Explanations
Ranawaka referred to explanations offered following previous electricity failures, arguing that the public had repeatedly been presented with accounts that deserved closer examination.
He recalled an earlier incident in which a monkey was blamed for damage affecting the electricity transmission system.
The former minister also cited previous claims that excessive rooftop solar generation had contributed to instability in the national grid.
Those incidents have become part of the wider debate over Sri Lanka’s electricity infrastructure, particularly the challenges of accommodating increasing renewable energy generation.
While rooftop solar can complicate grid balancing during periods of relatively low demand, the technical challenges associated with renewable energy do not establish that solar installations caused the October 17 blackout.
Determining the cause requires examination of system operating data, protective equipment, transmission conditions, generation levels and the sequence of events preceding the interruption.
Ranawaka argued that the public should not be expected to accept explanations without a proper investigation.
Allegations of an Agenda Against Rooftop Solar
The most serious allegation concerns the possibility that restrictions imposed during the blackout could be used to undermine rooftop solar generation.
During the restoration operation, the NSO instructed owners of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems to disconnect their installations from the national grid until further notice.
The operator said the measure was intended to support efforts to stabilise and restore electricity supplies.
On October 18, the NSO announced that rooftop solar systems could resume operations, indicating that the restriction had been temporary.
Nevertheless, Ranawaka alleged that such decisions could be used to discourage independent electricity generation and strengthen the market position of preferred commercial operators.
He claimed that two businessmen associated with the Government were benefiting from a dominant position in the renewable energy sector.
“The Government authorities have done it this time too. They are discouraging rooftop solar panels in this manner to facilitate the duopoly held by two of their crony businessmen in the renewable energy sector,” he alleged.
The former minister did not identify the businessmen in the report examined, nor did he present documentary evidence establishing the alleged preferential treatment or market arrangement.
His accusations therefore remain unverified political allegations.
A temporary instruction to disconnect rooftop solar systems during grid restoration is not, by itself, evidence of an attempt to eliminate rooftop solar generation or favour particular companies.
Such instructions can form part of the technical process of restoring a disrupted electricity network, although their necessity and implementation should remain open to independent scrutiny.
Government Announces Investigation Into Blackout
The Government has separately acknowledged the need to investigate Saturday’s outage.
Minister Karunathilaka said the proposed expert inquiry would seek to establish what triggered the disruption, identify any technical or operational deficiencies and determine whether the incident could have been prevented.
The NSO also committed to submitting preliminary findings to the Ministry of Energy.
The scope and independence of those investigations will be important in addressing the concerns raised by Ranawaka.
An inquiry capable of establishing public confidence would need to examine the technical sequence of the blackout and explain why protective systems did not prevent a nationwide interruption.
It should also clarify the operational reasons for temporarily disconnecting rooftop solar generation and establish whether existing procedures were followed correctly.
Ranawaka has urged the Government to disclose the findings promptly and without withholding material information.
For electricity consumers, rooftop solar owners and businesses affected by the disruption, the immediate priority remains a credible explanation of what caused the national grid to fail.
Whether any commercial interests played a role is a separate allegation requiring evidence.
The promised investigations will ultimately be judged by the completeness of their findings, the independence of the technical assessment and the Government’s willingness to make the results public.
