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FTZMA proposes activation of power wheeling to reduce costs
Says move will accelerate SL’s renewable energy build-out at no cost to Govt. The Free Trade Zone Manufacturers’ Association of Sri Lanka (FTZMA) has called on the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to use the current Extraordinary Electricity Tariff Review as the moment to operationalise power wheeling under Section 13 of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act, No. 36 of 2024. The Association presented this position formally at the Commission’s public consultation held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) yesterday. The FTZMA in a statement said it is not seeking subsidies, concessions, or special treatment of any kind. The Association is asking on behalf of Sri Lanka’s industrial base, the renewable energy sector, and the country as a whole for the activation of a market-based mechanism that the Parliament of Sri Lanka has already enacted, and that every regional manufacturing competitor of Sri Lanka already provides to its industries. FTZMA Chairman Dhammika Fernando said: “We are not asking the Government for a single rupee. We are asking that industry be permitted to help itself, and in doing so, save the country meaningful foreign exchange, year after year, while accelerating the national transition to clean energy. The law has already been passed. The opportunity now lies in the hands of the regulator.” The FTZMA said: “Power wheeling, known internationally as ‘open access’ or the ‘direct power purchase agreement’ mechanism, is the right of an industrial consumer to purchase electricity directly from an independent renewable generator (such as a solar or wind project) and have that electricity delivered through the national transmission grid, paying a transparent regulated charge for the use of the grid. It is the mechanism by which private investment, clean generation, and industrial demand are matched on commercial terms, without any claim on the public purse. Every country with which Sri Lankan manufacturers compete on international markets already permits industrial open access. Sri Lanka, despite having the legal framework in place, does not. The legal framework for open access in Sri Lanka is already in place. Section 13 of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act, No. 36 of 2024 expressly provides for it. The principal provisions of the Act came into operation on 9 March 2026 with the corporate restructuring of the former Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) into six successor companies, including a separate transmission c...
Proposed NC bill targets data center costs, power demand
A proposed North Carolina bill would require data centers to cover more of their energy costs and generate some of their own clean power, following growing backlash to their rapid expansion. Posted 5/1/2026, 6:17:59 PM Updated 5/1/2026, 9:42:28 PM Proposed NC bill targets data center power and costs By Liz McLaughlin, WRAL climate change reporter As data centers drive a surge in electricity demand across North Carolina, lawmakers are proposing new rules aimed at making those facilities cover more of their own costs, including generating some of their own power. The legislation, called the Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act, would require large-scale data centers to pay cost-based electric rates, cover infrastructure expenses tied to their growth and generate at least 25% of their electricity on-site using clean energy. Other WRAL Top Stories Supporters say the goal is to protect households and small businesses from rising utility bills as energy demand grows. Several North Carolina communities have approved temporary moratoriums on new data centers as local leaders study their impact on energy use, water demand and costs. “If a company wants to build a data center in North Carolina, they can,” said Rep. Lindsey Prather, a Buncombe County Democrat who introduced the bill. “They must simply pay their own way and stop shifting the cost onto you, me and families like ours.” The proposal comes as utilities, including Duke Energy, warn that rapid growth in data centers — fueled by artificial intelligence and cloud computing — is accelerating the need for new power plants and grid upgrades. Experts say the scale of that demand is significant. “We’re looking at demand growth forecasts that are really nothing that we’ve seen since about the 1950s and 60s,” said Harrison Fell, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at North Carolina State University. “You’re basically adding a small city every time you add one of these data centers.” The bill would apply to facilities with peak electricity demand of at least 40 megawatts, roughly enough to power 32,000 homes, or water use exceeding 1 billion liters annually. Among its key provisions: Data centers must generate at least 25% of their electricity on-site using “clean energy.”They must pay electric rates that reflect the full cost of serving them, including new generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.Local governments would be barred from offering tax incentives or subsi...
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