📈 Energy Security: President Urges Peak-Hour Conservation

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed an immediate countrywide push to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) to mitigate risks from global supply strains linked to the Middle East conflict. • Key Directives: The administration is prioritizing preventive demand-side management over supply restrictions. Officials have been tasked with intensifying public awareness and formulating strict guidelines for Government institutions to curb non-essential usage. • Targeted Reductions: • Public Sector: Mandatory energy management protocols for state and local government bodies. • Commercial/Urban: Proposed restrictions on advertising billboards, decorative lighting, and non-essential street lighting in urban areas. • National Demand: Focus remains on the four-hour peak window where national load is highest. • Economic Context: While authorities state there are no immediate plans for power cuts, the move is a strategic response to global energy market volatility. Managing domestic demand is viewed as essential to safeguarding the energy sector and ensuring uninterrupted supply for the industrial and service sectors without increasing the national fuel import bill. • Collaborative Approach: The strategy involves a multi-ministerial effort including Transport, Highways, and Local Government to implement systematic savings at the municipal level. _Data based on official Presidential Secretariat briefing, March 24, 2026._