⚡ PUCSL Approves 1-Hour Daily Power Cuts Amid Lakvijaya Power Plant Outage

• Overview & Capacity Shortfall: The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has granted approval for daily 1-hour staggered power cuts for three consecutive days (19 to 21 October). The temporary demand-management plan addresses a generation shortfall following an island-wide blackout on Saturday (17 Oct) that rendered the Lakvijaya Power Station unavailable. • Schedule & Group Rotations: Power interruptions are scheduled across four designated groups between 4:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.: • 19 Oct: Group 1 (4:30–5:00 p.m.), Group 2 (5:30–6:00 p.m.), Group 3 (6:30–7:00 p.m.), Group 4 (7:30–8:00 p.m.). • 20 Oct: Rotation starts with Group 4, followed by Groups 1, 2, and 3 across the same time windows. • 21 Oct: Rotation starts with Group 3, followed by Groups 4, 1, and 2. • Implementation: The National System Operator (NSO) and Electricity Distribution Lanka Ltd. (EDL) will enforce outages only if active demand exceeds available generation. Restorations may vary by up to 30 minutes based on real-time grid demand, total capacity, and weather conditions.