Make use of the skills of local engineers to exploit renewable power sources in the country for generation of electricity,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa told senior officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy (CEB).

"During the next five years the CEB should be able to become an efficient organization without corruption and cut back its losses and become an institution that will not be a burden to the country", President further said at the progress review meeting of the Power and Energy Ministry held at Temple Trees yesterday.

Plans for improvement to the National Power Grid were also discussed at the meeting with the President and a State owned company was proposed to be established to manage the grid.

Ministry of Power & Energy is currently putting into action a short, medium and a long term plan to revive the country’s energy sector.

Currently the CEB is planning to work out a program to provide incentives to industries that shift their production to off peak hours from peak hours.

It will help reduce the demand for electricity during peak hours, CEB said.

Sri Lanka is currently constructing several power plants to meet the future demand and these plants are mainly coal and hydro power based units.